Forest Fire II
by moor
Summary: Sequel to "Forest Fire". University AU. Sasu X Saku X Ita. After Sasuke inexplicably broke up with her when he leaves for Oto, Sakura throws herself into her school and social life. Friends like Ino, and surprisingly Itachi, are there to help her along the way. Meanwhile another threat, in the form of unbalanced Uchiha Madara, stalks her, ever nearer.
1. September

**September:**

Sakura waved to Ino and joined her on the patio at _Shinobi_, relieved it wasn't too busy yet. Her classes had ended for the week after Communications, and she had texted Ino and asked to meet her at _Shinobi_, a student pub just off campus. As she had only spoken to her an hour prior insisting that no, she couldn't make it out that night, she was pretty sure Ino would be all over her the moment she set foot on the patio.

She wasn't disappointed.

"So, what did you just _need _to talk to me about? Because I actually approve of that blouse with that skirt, since I was with you when you bought them, so I know you aren't having a fashion crisis." Ino shook her hair out over her shoulder as she leaned back on the lounge chair under the cheerful umbrella. The wind blew gently and brought with it a refreshing breeze off the mister, and Sakura barely quelled the urge to arch her brow as it beaded on Ino's skin. Obviously, Ino was already familiar with the patio and had chosen the optimal cooling zone to establish her fine self in. To be ogled and revered.

Sakura ignored the other students eyeing both her and Ino and dropped her bag onto the free seat beside her.

"Let's try and not broadcast this conversation," said Sakura, glancing around casually and making eye contact with a t-shirted waitress with a half-apron tied around her hips. Sakura smiled and the waitress returned it with a wave. Sakura pointed to what Ino was drinking, and the waitress nodded.

Meanwhile, Ino's smile widened as she scented blood.

"Oh, this will be good. Okay, spill spill spill," said Ino, picking up her beer and gesturing at Sakura.

Swallowing a sigh, Sakura leaned forward and rested her elbows on their circular table. "What do you know about TAs and RAs and class assignments—as in, being assigned to certain professors?"

"Not much; I would have thought you would have known stuff like that. We can find out, though," said Ino, shoulders slumping. "Did you seriously emergency-text me for that?"

"Thanks," said Sakura to the waitress who set her beer down in front of her. Sakura tipped her and took a large swallow, hoping to overcome her dry throat. "Not exactly… more like… someone we both know is my TA in Communications. And… I am just questioning whether he was assigned to be a TA in that class, or whether he asked to be a TA in that class."

Ino gaped at her. Then slammed her cup onto the table, beer sloshing over the side.

"Are you kidding me? Itachi's your sweet-ass fucking TA?!" Ino swore, and a few of the nearby men winced at its creativity. "I totally chose the wrong classes! Wait, gimme the class ID number, maybe I can still transfer in. It's still the first week," said Ino, scrambling to whip out her phone and sign in to the university's student portal. "Come on, come on," she muttered, "load—the Hell, why did my signal just drop! Are you blocking me, you selfish bitch?"

"Thank you for availing yourself of my personal crisis for your own personal gain," said Sakura, glaring at Ino. "And I thought you weren't a fan of Itachi."

"Answer the question!" Ino's tone turned militant. "Also, regardless of how I feel about him personally, I can admit that he is a fine specimen of a man to look at. Now, stop femme-cock-blocking me from your class."

"No."

"Screw you. Ah, oh hey, I have bars again, sweet!" cheered Ino, glancing up at Sakura to show her her phone's screen. "Okay, so I can totally pick up Intro to Anthro next term by online course, so that's being dropped like it's hot. What was the course code again?"

Sakura's brow lowered and she blew out hard through her nose.

Well, if Ino wasn't taking it as a serious issue, perhaps she was making more of it than it really was. And, okay, maybe it was a good thing Ino wasn't going crazy, all-out super-spy over Itachi anymore. Whatever had changed, Sakura would accept it. For now.

"Gimme a second and let me pull up the course calendar…" Sakura muttered, pulling out her own phone. Hell, taking another course with Ino would be fun, as long as they kept their gossip to a minimum.

Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, Sakura squinted at her screen. "You want to check under the Faculty of Arts, C-O-M-M area for Communications, Fall Term, First Year…"

* * *

Later that afternoon, as Itachi pinned his office hours schedule to the corkboard outside his office, he nearly swallowed his tongue when Kisame snuck up behind him and walloped him on his back.

"Congratulations! You're officially eye candy for a new year of frosh!" The big man grinned down at him with a chuckle.

Itachi shook his head at Kisame and the two entered Itachi's office and settled in the two uncomfortably functional wood and metal seats in front of Itachi's tidy desk. "Jealous you were always out of the running?"

Kisame tapped his chest above his heart. "Careful, you risk hurting my feelings and I only have one left."

"Yes, the one your wife controls and uses to get you to do her bidding," smirked Itachi, relaxing into his seat and propping up his leg on an immaculate, tastefully designed ergonomic stool. It was spotless and half-hidden behind Itachi's desk, sturdy and light, just within easy reach of his feet.

Kisame nodded down at it. It hadn't been there at the end of the previous term, which meant...

"Still sore?"

Itachi shook his head. "Just need to rest it once in a while. Weaning myself off the cane."

Their eyes met for a moment, and Kisame's eyes narrowed. "Is that wise? You don't need to rush."

If Itachi had been a more physically expressive person, he would have shrugged. As it was, he spared a glance at the open door, and Kisame took his cue and closed it.

"No sense being dependent on it," said Itachi, resting his hands on the arms of his chair and leaning back.

Kisame took in Itachi's dark eyes, and the dark circles beneath his eyes. "How's your Tylenol 3 stock?" asked Kisame bluntly.

Itachi stared back, folding his hands in his lap, his elbows hanging over the arms of the chair.

Kisame sighed. "So, should I assume I'll be running the practices for the club for the next few weeks?"

"At least the sparring practices. I can help with organization and orientation, but I'm not to overexert myself for another few weeks," said Itachi.

The tendons in his neck stood out for a moment, and Kisame noted that Itachi had lost weight.

He sighed. "You can ask for help, you know, kid."

Itachi shook his head, lifting a hand. "Unnecessary. I will be fine."

"_Will be_ doesn't mean _am_," said Kisame as he stretched his long, muscular legs out in front of him and crossed them at the ankles. "Christ, you were shot and stabbed, Itachi. And not in the arm or hand, but in the leg. Which holds up your bodyweight, which you walk on, and which needs to be elevated and rested while it heals."

"The skin has healed."

Kisame snorted. "Yeah, but I bet your muscles are still knitting together underneath. Face it, kid, you need to slow down for a bit, physically. Let me get a few people in to help with the club, at least. Come to practice, correct their forms, but Deidara and Sasori, maybe even Pein and Konan, can rotate in for demonstrations and sparring. You've saved their asses at their nightclub often enough, they owe you," said Kisame, before he smirked. "Perhaps we should get you a private nurse, to make sure you're taking it real easy—"

Itachi's glare turned glacial, but Kisame just laughed loud and hard. "Sponge baths not your thing?"

Itachi tensed and fidgeted in his seat, and Kisame's grin turned feral, his brows rising.

"What?" he asked, his lips peeling back from his teeth, his smile widening by the minute.

"At the hospital… they wouldn't stop. I think I was the cleanest man on the ward," said Itachi, and to Kisame's amusement Itachi shuddered like a fairytale damsel. "I'll never suffer the sight of a sponge again."

Kisame's head was thrown back as he roared with laughter.

"Mother chased them off when they brought in the interns after the hourly baths started," muttered Itachi, his shoulders pulling in. "It was…"

"Not as glamourous as the movies make it out to be?"

"Not the movies you watch, obviously," muttered Itachi, brow arched. "I went home to recover, and a relative came in to check on me at my apartment."

Kisame remembered who else had come to tend Itachi, but held his counsel.

"And now?"

"Obviously I can bathe myself. I'm not an invalid."

Kisame switched his legs and rested his large hands over his taut belly. While he no longer served in the special forces, he did not neglect his health. He had been in Itachi's position, and still bore the scars to prove it. "How are you feeling? This is your first week back in the saddle." His gaze passed over the smudges that lined Itachi's eyes once more; the way the younger man's collarbones stood out prominently, his necklace bringing more attention to them. "You sure you didn't take too much on, this time?" His voice was quieter, more patient this time, that of a mentor and friend, not colleague. "The martial arts club, your PhD, the classes you're taking, the classes you're teaching and TA'ing, the papers you're authoring, the thesis you're writing," Kisame went on, then paused, considering his words carefully. "The circumstances outside your professional life," he added, watching Itachi.

But Itachi remained silent, and that silence festered and grew between the two men.

"I'm not asking as your boss, Itachi," said Kisame when Itachi's face hardened to stone. "I'm…" Kisame let out a huff and pulled his legs back up, wringing his hands, bending his legs at the knee, as he gruffly said, "I'm worried about you, kid."

The tension held, the men holding each others' eyes. In his lap, Kisame's gnarled hands twisted and knotted together before he separated them and they shifted to the armrests of his chair. After another minute or so Kisame's face fell and he turned to look at his feet.

When Itachi gave no sign of capitulating, Kisame shook his gray-streaked head before he leaned forward to get up.

Then Itachi let out a huff and his shoulders relaxed.

The corner of his mouth smoothed and quirked up, but so quickly Kisame nearly missed it when he blinked.

"Konan and Pein, then Sasori and Deidara; alternating? At the MA club?" Itachi said, nodding slowly. "I'll still come out for Saturday morning practice, but… maybe I could take some time to focus on my readings, instead of leading practice during the weeknights. Go home a bit earlier. Just until the doctors clear me."

Kisame's grin softened and he nodded once. "Want me to call the crew?"

"You haven't already?"

Kisame's eyes shone as he chuckled. "I was only being polite."

"Please stop. It doesn't suit you."

Kisame laughed.

* * *

Dingy, graffiti-ridden concrete whipped past the windows of the high speed interurban train before snapping into blinding glass and steel skyscrapers in a dramatic shift that continued to mentally jolt Sasuke even a month after living in Oto.

_His suite in the company housing district was in the suburbs, the end unit in a three-storey tall spacious brick townhouse. Or, it was for now._

"_As you advance through your training, you'll find your efforts are reciprocated and or rewarded, based on their business impact," his host had explained as they had toured Sasuke's living quarters. "Your laundry facilities are located here, just off the entrance to the bathroom. Your living room-den, your eat-in kitchen, and your office are down this hallway. We weren't sure of your colour palette, so everything was returned to eggshell white with chrome accents. We do have a decorator on our hospitality staff, if you require any assistance or advice. On the next floor up," he said, ascending the stairs, "you will find the master bedroom with ensuite bathroom, the guest room, and another bathroom. The uppermost floor is accessible via this pull-down staircase; it is a fully finished attic, air-conditioned and heated, and open to you to do with as you see fit. The finished basement is also open-concept and fully insulated. Let me show you back to the main entrance; from there you can set your programmable thermostat and new access codes to the security system…"_

_Sasuke had followed, as aloof as he could manage after his flight and the emotional upheaval he'd endured at his airport send-off._

"_If you have any questions, you can reach the campus—as in, company housing complex—security team via your intercom, here," said the man showing him around as they stopped by the front door. "You have another of these screens up in your bedroom, and another in the kitchen. They will show you who is at your door, and you can release the locks from here, too, if you want to invite them in."_

"_Who else has access to this place?" Sasuke eyed the screen. The camera outside his front door was carefully hidden in the doorbell, but he'd noticed it. With all the other tech upgrades around a supposedly entry level employee's dwelling, he had to wonder. _

"_The chief of our security team, only; unless you contact us asking for emergency assistance, in which case it would be the first company-security responder to the scene. You need to ask for help or assistance before a regular security officer's key-card would give them access. Your privacy is assured, Mr Uchiha."_

"_Hnn." Sasuke looked over the access panel again, memorizing its features. "Anything else I should know?"_

"_Ah! Almost forgot!" The man half-turned and reached into his black knapsack. "Your access key cards are on your kitchen counter, and we left a few essentials in your bathrooms and kitchen, but here we go: this is your company phone. We ask that all company-related business be handled on this handset. Your superiors' numbers are already programmed in; all calls are recorded and may be periodically reviewed, as part of your probation. You are welcome to make personal calls as well, just be sure to say the word 'personal' at the beginning of the call so our tracking system can discard them from your performance evaluations. In this case you'll find the manual for the phone, your phone number, and its temporary PIN. You're welcome to change the PIN at any time. The company handles backing up your phone's contents on a regular basis, so if anything happens to the phone, just let us know so we can get you a replacement ASAP. You can also control your new home's entry—and view the visitor screen —via the onscreen commands. So if you need to let a guest in and you're at the office, you can 'buzz' them through, so to speak."_

_Sasuke nodded and accepted the phone and its packaging from him, nodding his head back towards the kitchen. "My security pass to the office?"_

"_And ID are all included in your master card; that way you only need one card that is keyed to all the areas you need: home, office, and anything else we'll key in for you in the future."_

"_So you'll be tracking my movements, too, to see where I go?"_

_The man paused with his hand on the doorknob, turning to look at Sasuke again, a polite smile on his face. "We're placing a lot of trust in you, and expecting great things from you, Mr Uchiha."_

"_You are very generous," said Sasuke, his voice level._

_The man opened the door again, letting in the scent of freshly mown grass and the occasional passing car. "Great things," he repeated._

_Sasuke nodded once in understanding before closing the door and immediately changing the security code. _

_It didn't escape his notice that for all the neatly trimmed hedges, sculpted trees and swept driveways, there was not a single children's toy or bicycle in the vicinity, or the sound of any other sign of life in the complex._

That tour had taken place almost a month ago, and Sasuke had found another hidden camera or two each week since.

Not that he intended to invite over any guests from rival companies or industries, but whom he invited into his home deserved their own privacy, too.

Green eyes hardened in anger and pain flashed through his mind, and he swallowed. He had done the right thing; he knew he had. It was just taking a bit longer to accept than he had expected. Sakura had been conflicted; he had been conflicted; his brother had been…

What?

Not for the first time, Sasuke felt his chest and back tensing, his hands curling together before he caught the sensation and stopped it, letting out a low breath.

How long had Sasuke admired his older brother? And for Itachi to turn around, go behind his brother's back and prey on Sakura; a girl who was practically a little sister to him? Who was Sasuke's one true love?

Sasuke stifled a cough and swallowed, looking at his shoes a moment before glaring out the train's wide, trapezoidal window.

He needed to stop thinking about this; today of all days, his first of many (hopefully) one-on-one 'chats' (read: performance evaluations) needed to go smoothly. He needed to be focused, driven, and above all, competent. His (company) notebook under his arm, his charcoal suit pressed and fitted, he checked his appearance one last time in the window before he met the eyes of a young woman from behind him, in the reflection.

Surprised and wary of how long he'd been under surveillance, Sasuke stared back at her, until she passed him. The train slowed, announcing its stop. Now alongside him, the tall, pale young woman smiled widely at him as she hopped off in front of him.

"Relax, you'll do great," she said with a wink before disappearing through the throngs of passengers.

For just a moment Sasuke allowed himself to imagine another young woman's voice saying the same thing to him.

He stomped off the train in a huff, dismissing the idle fantasy.

He had work to do.

* * *

To be continued.

* * *

AN: Prologue. Posted at reader request. The rest of the story is still under construction (and closing in on 200+ pages). Many, many thanks to pokesimmo for her beta help! I aim to update monthly.

AN: Disclaimer: "Naruto" is copyright its creator and respective rights holders.

_**Please also keep in mind that leaving comments (whether positive or negative) is good manners and a show of respect for the author's efforts. ;)**_


	2. Chapter 2

"When you invited me out tonight, you said we were just relaxing with friends. Those are not Relaxing With Friends shoes. Those are Date Night shoes, and I cannot afford a chiropractic visit after how much I just unloaded in tuition," said Sakura.

She glanced at the murky depths of the closet in Ino's dorm room, and crossed her arms over her bosom. "I agreed to a night of chilling and non-booty-shaking fun and I expect to endure casual discourse among the welcoming familiarity of friends. Grabby hands and a sore body are a no-go."

Ino scowled at Sakura and jutted out her lower jaw even as she pointed at Sakura with the sassy stiletto-heeled sandal. "For one thing, you are a medicine-oriented prodigy with a full freaking scholarship, so that line's bogus. For another, you can totally relax in these; see, they're meant to be worn while relaxing your feet on top of the table. Show off those sexy legs of yours, woman! You got it, flaunt it!"

"How can you say that with any integrity after making me put on a skirt I can barely fit my whole name on?"

"You could totally write 'Sak' across the butt of that skirt," said Ino, crossing her arms and cocking her hip.

"In font 6, sure. But certainly not with my heels up on a table. Because nothing screams class like having a skirt emblazoned with SAK'S ASS on it with your nasty hooker heels on display for all to approve of," said Sakura with an arched brow. "And no, get that look off your face, we are not writing that on the back of this skirt. I got you that damn _Be-Dazzler_ gun in grade eight, Ino, and don't you forget I will take it away if you take one step closer towards me."

"Fine," huffed Ino, dumping the well-loved accessorizer on her make-up trundle. For now.

"I thought you said _Shinobi _was a laid-back pub? It seemed totally cool this afternoon," said Sakura with a tired whine. She had finally given in to Ino's wheedling and agreed to go out—for a short time—that night to meet up with their friends for a drink to hash out their week. But that was it. So far, she'd modelled four skirts, three pairs of skinny jeans, and more tank tops than she could count that night for her best friend's entertainment, and she was getting a bad feeling that they weren't heading back to the laid-back pub.

"Oh, did I say _Shinobi _for tonight, too? I mean _Akatsuki_. My bad."

Sakura closed her heavily made-up eyes a moment, and prayed her false eyelashes did not melt off when she opened them again to Eye-Beam her frustration at Ino.

"If your eye-forehead region keeps twitching, you're going to have cracks in your make-up," said Ino.

"I'm not holding your hair back for you tonight. Just so we're clear."

"Notice that I already did my hair in an up-do?" Ino didn't bother turning from the mirror she sat in front of, finishing off her dramatic eye make-up. Sakura almost hated her for how easy she made it look, in spite of how much time she knew Ino had spent learning her myriad magical cosmetic techniques. And social manipulation techniques.

Swearing internally, Sakura really was left with just one reply. _"Argh!"_

Ino smirked.

* * *

As he had every evening since his relocation to Oto, Sasuke passed that Friday night in his living room, tv dinner in his lap, working. He had found a number of inconsistencies in his department's reporting practices, and as had become his after-work practice, he now traced every one back to its originator. It was time consuming, meticulous, agonizing work and he revelled in its power to distract him.

At least until Naruto would inevitably call and destroy his focus as he was ultimately born to do.

"I hate you and I'm working. In that order," said Sasuke as he answered his personal satellite phone. He had not provided his work phone number to anyone, and had not provided work his personal phone number. Or advised them he had it.

"Ha ha, very funny," said Naruto. Or that's what Sasuke was pretty sure he said. The blaring music and screaming, yelling and laughing in the background were a bit distracting.

"So what are you up to tonight?"

"Preparing to hang up on a distraction."

"No! No, wait! I haven't heard from you this week. What's up, man?"

More loud music poured through the phone and Sasuke glared at it and held it away from his face. With a huff he set it down on the coffee table in front of him, pressing the speakerphone button. There, now it was practically like he was there! Sasuke couldn't wait until someone developed a technology that provided one the opportunity to punch someone in the face via phone call.

"Fine, busy. The usual," said Sasuke, though a bit louder.

"Do you miss me!"

"No."

"Aw man, come on! We're like family! Soul siblings! Brothers from another mother!"

"You mean dimension."

"Haha, I knew you were in there somewhere, Sauce-pants!"

"Please tell me you don't have me on speaker near your friends."

"Hey Sasuke!"

"Yo Sauce-pants!"

"Sasuke, man, how's it hanging?"

Sasuke's face pinched and he felt a vein throb in his temple as he squeezed his eyes shut, very tightly, nearly to the point of pain.

"Hey man, we miss you," he heard one voice break through the din of the loud music.

_Kiba?_

"Yeah, when are you coming back to visit?" asked Naruto. "You're coming back for Thanksgiving, right?"

"Or Christmas," said Shikamaru, his voice low and gravelly. "You'll be back then, man, right? Your family probably misses you, ya know."

Sasuke stared at the phone, swallowing.

"Naruto," he said, his voice rough. "How many people are there with you?"

"Oh, everybody's here! Everybody, say Hi to Sasuke!"

"Hey Sasuke!" a large group cheered, drowning out the music for a moment, then broke into laughs and whoops. "We miss you~!" They followed up with lots of jeers and kissing noises, but more laughter and well-wishes, too.

For a moment, Sasuke couldn't form words. His voice and mouth went dry and he couldn't see anything but the speaker of his phone, staring back at him in his cold, otherwise quiet, tidy living room.

"See, man! We wouldn't forget about you! So seriously, what's happening? You're so busy I can barely reach you!"

Sasuke swallowed and reached out, pulling the phone just a little bit closer.

"It's… it's good. I made it through my first performance review. They're apparently really impressed. So far."

"Yeah, but you were born that way. Stupid Uchiha lucky bastard," mumbled Naruto, but just loud enough for Sasuke to hear.

Against his will, Sasuke felt his face warm from its now-usual chill and his cheeks loosen, his smile surfacing for the first time in weeks.

"You mean amazingly brilliant Uchiha," he retorted, and heard Naruto and a few others laugh through the receiver. "Don't think you can get away with that just because I'm not there in person. Idiot."

"Jerk!"

"Asshole."

"You… you… dingbat combat wombat!"

"I… what?" asked Sasuke, unsure he'd heard Naruto correctly.

"Uh, never mind. Switching off the speakerphone now. Everybody say Bye!"

"Bye Sasuke!" Their loud voices drowned out the premium bass that thumped through the phone, and once again, Sasuke felt his face loosening and growing warm. Maybe he was coming down with something.

"There we go," said Naruto, and his voice became clearer. "Can you still hear me?"

"Yeah, unfortunately."

"Heh, I miss you too, man. We all do. It's not the same without you here. We're all heading out next week together to sign up for campus teams and clubs; what am I supposed to do without my wingman?"

"Wingman? I see your delusions of grandeur have taken on epic proportions," said Sasuke, setting his notebook computer onto the table alongside the phone so he could continue working. "I'm sure the campus janitorial staff could use a marksman like you for garbage pick-up after games," he drawled, though his ears had seized on Naruto's words. "So things are so boring you all miss me?"

"Dude, we all grew up together. Of course we miss you. You really are my brother, in a way. You and Sakura are my only family. Er, yeah, that is… anyway, yeah. We're rooting for you!"

Sasuke folded his hands together and looked at them a moment.

"I'm off speaker?"

"Yeah, man. It's too loud in here otherwise."

Still wincing at the volume of noise coming through with Naruto's words, Sasuke nodded to himself.

"How're things?" he asked, his hands flexing together.

"Good. Classes are still warming up, and I think my math class will be my trickiest one, but not too bad. I've already met my mentor from the Student Services; this crazy old guy with big white hair. He's supposed to help me with my attention problems and dyslexia and stuff; so far he just keeps asking me if any of my cute girl friends need a mentor. He's kinda weird. But fun! And he does know his stuff," rambled Naruto.

"Good to have someone in your corner," said Sasuke.

"With you gone, I was a bit worried there for a while, yeah," said Naruto, laughing. "But the school called me and we worked everything out. I'm only taking four courses this semester, not a full five, just to get me adjusted. We have a whole plan! It's a bit of a relief."

Sasuke's face softened, and he smiled gently. "I'm glad for you, man. You worked hard to get there. Don't give up."

"Do you know what Sakura'd do to me if I—what everyone would do to me if I did?" Naruto corrected himself quickly, but not quickly enough.

"It's okay, you can say her name, Naruto. How… how is she doing?"

There was a muffled sound on the line and Sasuke's heart shuddered in his chest. Had Naruto been with someone, a girl, maybe Sak—?

Before he could think, he heard Naruto sighing on the line.

"Is she there?" Sasuke asked too quickly.

"I was checking with Ino. She'd be the one to ask, at this point. She said Sakura's doing just fine. I don't share any classes with them this term, so I haven't seen Sakura since term started. But Ino said she's fine, yeah," said Naruto. His voice was calm and a bit sad, and Sasuke knew he was putting his friend in a difficult position. But his curiosity was roused and with some answers being so agonizingly close, he only needed to reach out and touch them just for a few minutes.

Just to endure and suffer the pain, just a little bit.

Sasuke leaned forward on the couch, oblivious to his report. "Is she there tonight? With you all?" _Was she on the phone a few minutes ago?_

"Sasuke," sighed Naruto, his resignation clear.

But Sasuke couldn't help himself; he needed this torture, just a taste of it.

"Is she alright?" he asked, his voice rising in pitch before he could tamp down on his anxiety.

"She's fine! Look, just… Hold on, I'll get Ino for you. I'm not taking sides in this, okay? Just a sec," said Naruto, and Sasuke heard muffled mumbling through the pounding beat of the music, a male voice, Naruto's, and a female voice, likely Ino's. He gripped the phone receiver, not remembering when he'd picked it up from the table. In a tense grip he held it to the shell of his ear, desperate for any word about Sakura.

It was then he fully comprehended something: Since the moment they'd met, years ago as children, he'd never spent so long without hearing Sakura's voice, seeing her, knowing she would be there for him unconditionally. Over and over since his arrival in Oto he'd had to halt himself from automatically picking up his phone and calling her just to chat or mull things over. It was like he was missing a part of himself.

How much power did that put in her hands, over him?

And how much was he voluntarily throwing at her, just to feel a connection with her again?

Was he debasing or hurting himself, making himself vulnerable and weak, by seeking out any contact with her?

Panicking, he was about to call out to Naruto to hurry the hell up or forget about it when he heard Ino clearing her voice and answering the phone.

"Hey, Sasuke? You still there? Or did you decide you were too good for us mere mortals—as in, non-Uchiha—to stick around?"

"I'm here. How's your first week? I hear the campus is still standing and Naruto's still allowed in; obviously they've lowered their standards since I applied," he said, smirking. He strove for aloofness but it slipped through his fingers. Had that been Sakura's voice he heard in the background?

Ino snorted. "Yeah, right. Good to see you're learning humility and grace in your journey for self-discovery. And I know you didn't apply. What's up?"

"Did Naruto…"

"Did Naruto what? Take a dump today? You'll need to ask him, I'm really not into that."

Sasuke grit his teeth and clenched his eyes shut. No, Ino wouldn't make it easy on him. And she would likely use this against him. And he already owed her._ But, still…_

Forcing his voice to level and his grip to loosen slightly on the phone, he stared blankly at the report on his computer screen.

His heart clutched in his chest as he reached out and minimized the spreadsheet, leaving in its place his desktop wallpaper. He &amp; Sakura, from the night on the beach.

Yes, he would grovel to Ino of all people, just for a few words. Because he was weak, Sakura made him strong and he needed her.

On the screen in front of him, Sasuke's fingers traced her smile.

His heart in his throat, he tried to swallow and failed.

"...How is she, Ino?"

* * *

Sakura dodged another drunk frat boy—or was it a girl? she wasn't one hundred percent sure—and made her way back from the ladies room. She detoured to the bar to collect Ino's drink. And Naruto's beer. And Kiba's shots.

Her brow furrowed as she blew her bangs out of her eyes. You try to be nice and what happens? Everyone takes advantage.

She was just about back at their table (on the balcony—of course they had moved upstairs while she was away) when she and the waitress who'd followed her with her round of drinks nearly ran into a tall, broad, familiar back.

"Oops, sorry about… that," Sakura's voice trailed off as her mouth went dry. Her feet rooted to the floor and refused to take another step.

"No apology needed," Itachi said smoothly. "Excuse me." He swept past her down a hallway marked Employees Only, and disappeared behind a black door.

_What… the… _

"Are we close to your friends yet?" asked a polite voice from behind Sakura.

"Um, yeah, sorry, they moved." Dazed, Sakura stared at the door Itachi had disappeared behind. Coincidence? Yes. No. Yes… Maybe?

_Oh geez, did Ino set this up?_ Sakura inwardly groaned and clutched the cups and bottles in her hands more tightly. Because sometimes Sakura felt sure that nothing was truly beyond Ino's formidable control.

Mindful of the waitress behind her, and her friends waiting for her, Sakura kicked herself mentally and shuffled through the crowds. Of course she'd forgotten Itachi occasionally 'filled in' at his friends' bar. Of course Ino had chosen that bar to go to that night. Of course she had dressed Sakura up. Of course Sakura just had to literally run into him.

"Hey, heads' up, Forehead!"

"Huh?"

Sakura was blinded by the flash that suddenly exploded in front of her eyes.

"Damnit, Ino!" Sakura nearly spilled the iced drinks she'd been carrying as she stumbled to a stop.

"Are these your friends?"

"Debatable," muttered Sakura darkly under her breath. "Yes, this looks like our new table. Thanks for your help," she said more loudly in the direction she assumed the waitress was. There were too many stars still blinding her in the dark club for her to be sure.

"No problem, have a great night!"

"She was nice," said Naruto, swooping in to collect his beer from Sakura's white-knuckled grip.

"Yeah. Maybe I'll make her my new best friend." Sakura glared in Ino's… general direction.

"It was a candid shot!"

"I nearly dropped forty dollars worth of drinks!"

"Yeah, but you didn't. You and those ninja reflexes of yours."

Sakura blew out a hard breath before brushing off her ire. Ino was trying to distract her. She should be grateful… or something. Fine, she could play along. "Which reminds me, I'm signing up for the Martial Arts club next week. You joining me?"

"And wake up early on Saturdays to go get sweaty? Ew. No. But! There are a few awesome classes we could take together!" Ino grabbed her drink from the table.

"I am not joining you for pole-dancing. Or introductory stripper fitness. Or jazz-tap."

Ino pouted. "You never want to try anything new."

"Not without clothes," agreed Sakura, taking a sip of her drink. "Oh hey, they make great Bellinis here."

"Really? Share a sip?"

"Here," said Sakura, offering her glass to Ino. "How come you guys moved? It took me a while to find you."

"Oh that is good. I'll get one later. And we have a better view, up here."

"Of what? Packed people downstairs? Oh, wait, never mind, I see now," sighed Sakura as Ino smiled and caught the eye of an admirable specimen a little to their left. "A particular better view."

"What do you think? Engineer? Bio-Chem?" Ino tilted her head side to side as she contemplated the hottie. "Ooooh, never mind him, check out that hot piece of—oh my godliness, is that Itachi?! What is that nefarious piece of scum doing here?! Is he stalking you!"

So it looked like Ino had not set her up. This time. And hello, turnabout? Hadn't she been singing Itachi's praises earlier?

"He works here, Ino. Sometimes, anyway."

"That apron should not look that perfectly snug on his hips. That utter….ly, sinfully hot bastard," moaned Ino, her brows caving together. "Can you believe I have to wait twenty four hours before my class transfer gets approved? I wonder if he could sign off on it, right now."

"That's it. Grieve the loss, Ino, grieve and move on."

"You're not going to go say hi?" Ino asked, looking at Sakura.

Sakura drained the last of her drink and shook her head. "Nah."

Ino was still looking at her, and Sakura turned to smile tiredly at her friend. "Hmm?"

"You okay?" Ino's voice had softened, and she reached out to link her elbow with Sakura's.

"Oh yeah. Just a bit worn out. I told you earlier, I really wasn't up for this tonight. Maybe another time."

"Okay… Well, if you really want to go, I'll go get our jackets from the coat check and we can grab a cab back to my room on campus."

"It's okay, Ino, you stay; I'm just not feeling things tonight. I'm going to head home," said Sakura, pulling away even as Ino made a grab for her arms to keep her there. "Ino, let go. I'm tired."

"But you just got here—"

"I've been here for a good hour. I need sleep. And quiet. There's a bus stop not too far away, I'll just grab the next one. I'll text you when I get in."

With a few words of goodbye to her friends, and after much ignoring of Ino's exaggerated complaints, Sakura made her way to the coat check to collect her things.

"She not up for it, tonight?" Naruto asked Ino as he sidled up to the blond.

Ino shook her head, still watching Sakura. "Someday I'll figure out how to unman that damn Uchiha.

"I fear you when you say things like that," admitted Naruto.

"Good."

* * *

The Student Activity Centre on campus, the student body's 'living room' in effect, was filled to its rafters with students when Ino and Sakura decided to 'pop in' to see what student clubs and associations were available to them as newly minted frosh.

"You're sure we couldn't just read this on the Student Life site? I'm sure the videos would give us just as much of an appreciation for the club as this meat market. And it would smell better," muttered Ino as she shoved an elbow into some football-player-sized upper classman who had tried to cop a feel from the crowd.

"Sign-ups made in person are granted priority over web sign-ups. Consider it a loyalty reward. And it's two dollars cheaper this way," said Sakura as she held up her map of the club layout. "Okay, head towards the Turnkey desk, I wanna check out the MA club."

"Aw, Sakura! Come on! You promised me no martial arts!"

"No, I said I wouldn't make you join martial arts. I feel like pummelling things once in a while. Like right now," Sakura growled as she was shoved from behind. "Watch it!" she shouted behind her.

"Oy!"

A deep voice boomed across the room, cutting through the chatter and babble and shutting it down like a hatchet.

"Was that the voice of God?!" hissed Ino, crowding closer to Sakura.

"Anyone who is found hassling the frosh will be expelled from club activities for a term and it'll go on their permanent transcript!" continued the voice.

"Relax, he's on our side," whispered Sakura, patting Ino's hand. She recognized the voice and wasn't sure whether to smile or to cringe.

"Now listen up and form some orderly lines, or you'll ALL PAY FOR IT!"

"He's from the Martial Arts club, Sakura! He's probably some crazy ex-military convict!" hissed Ino, trying to drag Sakura away. She narrowed her eyes at the big man. "Though a very familiar one… Oh crap, he's the one from this summer, isn't he?" Ino ducked behind Sakura while still trying to haul her off in the opposite direction.

Ignoring her friend, Sakura graciously formed a line as requested and smiled up at Kisame as he waved a path open for them to walk straight up to him.

"Of course, ladies first," he grinned at her, softening his booming voice. "How are you doing, Miss Most-Popular-Frosh for all the wrong reasons?"

Quirking her brow and giving up on dislodging Ino, Sakura half-grinned back at him. "No doubt better than you. How're the kids, Kisame? They're adorable, by the way. Your wife must have worked hard to overcome your influence."

"Ha ha," he said, before he broke out laughing. "More like I had to overcome hers! But the kids are great. They returned to school today and asked when you'd next come by to visit. I'll have to rub it in with them that I get to see you here on campus."

"Such a positive role model, you mean old braggart."

"Your words would wound me if I weren't impervious to pain," he said, meaty hand over his heart. "So you here to visit me and my handsome face?"

"Actually, how do your sign ups work?"

His brow lifted. "Serious?"

"Damn skippy."

His grin widened. With a rough caricature of a flourish he shoved a clipboard at her. "Sign here, here, and here."

"Three signatures for a registration?"

"'Course not," he snorted. "That's the waiver."

"Duly noted."

"Sakura, you're going to die!"

"Slowly and painfully," assured Kisame, goading Ino.

"I can't let you do this alone."

Sakura glanced at Ino from the corner of her eye. Was Ino being voluntarily selfless?

"You're planning on registering with me?"

"Oh hells no." Ino was bent over her phone. "I'm texting Kiba and Shika and guilting them into protecting you."

"Charming friend you have there," said Kisame, brow furled down as he tilted his head in Ino's direction.

Sakura set her hands on her hips. "Ino, I can do this," she said, taking a stand.

Ino waved her fingers at Sakura, still focused on the screen and typing away on her phone. "Yes, I know you can, but I'd feel better if—"

Pissed now, Sakura slapped her money down on the table, making it jump at the impact.

"Sign me up and I'll pay double to keep them out," she spat out, staring at Kisame.

"The lady gets what the lady wants!" Kisame grinned at Sakura, a glint in his eye. "You sure you can handle our practices?"

"Watch. Me."

He leaned back and flashed her a sharkish grin. "Oh, no doubt of that."

* * *

The week progressed and Sakura and Ino enjoyed their classes, tutorials, lectures, and new club activities. Less so their homework, but the readings, while heavy, were very helpful if dry.

Sakura found she could maintain her part-time volunteer position with the hospital in the children's ward, or 'Peds', as she called it, much to her relief, though it did make for a busy week. The smiles on the children's faces were more than worth it, though. Every time she left she felt better than when she'd arrived. Speaking occasionally with Dr Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha, also had its moments. He seemed to seek her out for at least a few minutes when she came by, but luckily didn't overstay his welcome or pressure her for information relating to his family. From what Sasuke had said, he was a bit of a loner in the family as he was more social and outgoing than the usual Uchiha. She was pretty sure that he was the one who had taken care of Itachi when he'd been discharged.

"Busy, busy man," she mumbled to herself as she rode her bike home following a volunteering shift. And really, she reasoned, having to take care of the entire Uchiha clan would drive anyone a bit spare. Shisui probably needed little doses of normalcy where he could get them.

On campus, Sakura had enjoyed her MA club activities so far. Kisame had teased her a bit when she'd arrived, but after the skills assessments the new recruits had completed (much to Kisame's amusement and Sakura's sweaty, aching, panting disbelief), she had been ranked near the top of the new recruits, and fairly highly among the regular members. Not the upper echelon, but at least with some seniority, skill-wise. Thank the gods. Kisame would have been unbearable if she hadn't made it to mid-level at least.

"All right newbie maggots, line up!"

Yep, Kisame was a born poet.

Sakura hustled to join the ranks and stood silently, her gi white and tidy, her hair sweat-slicked in its French braid.

"Normally this club is run with two sensei, myself being one of them. The other sensei will be present on Saturdays only. This means you get to enjoy the tutelage of some of your former sempai—Oy, quit your moaning! That's how you earn extra endurance training, pissants!"

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek to stifle her grin. She was pretty sure her upperclassmen were groaning about some of the same individuals Sasuke used to bitch about, his brother's friends. Something about them being creatives sadists…

Ah yes, thought Sakura as a blue-haired woman, a heavily-pierced man, and several others entered the dojo from the 'guest' waiting area.

"I'd like you all to meet—and greet with extreme courtesy OR ELSE—your new sensei for this term. Sensei Konan, Sensei Pein—yes, he's good enough to keep them in his face or he wouldn't be wearing them, pissant!—, Sensei Sasori, Sensei Hidan—who is not allowed near any of the first years under the age of majority, IS THAT CLEAR, SENSEI HIDAN?—, Sensei GODS, WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOURSELF THIS TIME, YOU IDIOT—I mean, Sensei Deidara. Who will be seeing me right after class is over, got it? Christ. Right," said Kisame, shaking his head as he turned back to his students who were regarding him and their new team of frighteningly eccentric-looking teaching staff, more than a little agog.

Kisame clapped his hands together to gather their attention once more. "Any questions? Never mind, I don't care, because obviously I need to take a boken to Deidara to smack some goddamned sense into him. I'll assign you your dedicated teams and senseis at practice on Saturday. You will be here or you will suffer like you've never suffered before. Is that clear? Say yes or you'll suffer some more."

"Hai, Sensei!"

"Good. Kiritsu! Rei! Fuck off and go shower or die. Not you, Deidara, get over here and start explaining yourself, you mutt."

Class dismissed, Sakura let her smile shine through as she trotted off to the showers. Kisame was so refreshing, sometimes.

Behind her, she heard some of the other students gathering together, and the whispers that had followed her so doggedly since the start of term rose again.

"_Why's she smiling?" _

"_Who knows. Maybe she's into that sort of thing."_

Sakura ignored them. Kisame was all bluster and no bite (in this particular circumstance). He would keep things interesting. She had no doubt he'd deliberately tried to scare them that evening in order to make it easier for him to maintain order and discipline, what with being the only regular sensei that term.

Hmmm. That was a lot of work for him, actually.

As the water sluiced down her in the shower cubicle, she wondered whose team she'd end up on. It was almost enough to sober her mood before she remembered that Kisame was a fairly direct, overbearing man, but not a personally cruel one. She would be fine.

* * *

To be continued.

* * *

Posted a little early since I'll be away this coming weekend/week. Many thanks to pokesimmo and nikolita for their beta-help!

Posted March 5, 2015. Have a lovely weekend, all!


	3. Chapter 3

Saturday morning dawned wet and cold, and Sakura nearly reconsidered her relatively positive opinion of Kisame when he announced they were starting their practice with an endurance run around campus, and to roll up the cuffs of their gi since he wouldn't tolerate mud-scuffs on his hardwood floors.

"Whoever leads sets the pace, whoever falls behind cleans my feet with their toothbrush when we get back! Now mush!"

With a snap-clatter of bamboo slats, Kisame smacked a shinai against the ugly concrete floor of the east gymnasium's entrance, and they were off.

Forty five minutes later, Sakura and the rest of the team straggled into the changerooms, bruised, some bloody, and many half-feral from the what-had-turned-into-an obstacle course.

It probably needn't be said, but Sakura was not a fan of obstacle courses.

"You have five minutes to wash your hands, feet and faces and get back out here!"

His hollered orders now fed the fire of her discontent. Like many of her comrades, she now plotted Kisame's downfall.

So it was with a burning heart that she dragged herself to her rank in line and stood, feet shoulder-width apart, hands clasped behind her back... and looked up to find a lotus-seated Uchiha Itachi staring serenely back at her, his hands folded in moksha in his lap.

Her heart seized in her chest, then dropped to her belly like lead.

Oh hells.

* * *

**Several minutes prior.**

"_I'm not getting in the middle of you two; and I'm not making an issue of this. But for this first term, I'm keeping her on my team. She needs consistency and challenge. You need to avoid any hint of impropriety or favouritism. This works out in everyone's favour."_

"_And you get to irritate her on a thrice weekly basis," said Itachi, eyes slitted._

"_Perks, what can I say?" said Kisame._

_Itachi looked away, scanning the dance studio turned martial arts dojo. "The returning students did a good job cleaning, this time."_

"_Don't change the subject. She's here, she's pissed, and she has a score to settle. Let her settle it with herself, first. She doesn't need saving; she needs time to be on her own. While she's here, she is a student, she is not your friend. Clear?"_

"_I think this is unnecessary, Kisame."_

_Kisame looked long and hard at Itachi before shaking his head. "Wait one term. Give both of you the time you need. I mean it, Itachi. Now how is your leg? I tried to tire them out, so most will be glad to go through stretching instead of drills."_

_Itachi's brow turned downward and his face hardened, insulted. "I can keep up."_

"_Sure, your highness. You get the upper year students this morning; check their kata forms and see if you have one or two who'd be ready to give a short demo to the newcomers. I'll get Konan and the others to break the rest into small groups. The higher-ranked newcomers will be with me. Regroup at quarter to."_

_Itachi understood what Kisame was saying. He was keeping Sakura away from him. _

_Unfortunately, he had to agree Kisame's plan was the better one._

"_Until then."_

* * *

"... and Haruno," read Kisame, eyes lifting from his list. "You're with me over in this section of the gym. Grab your water bottles and move."

She did.

She drilled.

She kyai'd until her throat was sore.

She did her damndest to catch Kisame unaware, but she had to admit that for all his size he was a fast devil. She would not give Kisame any reason to single her out unless it was relating to her skills, she had promised herself. And even then, she was putting in 110%, no matter what.

And she absolutely did not turn her head towards Itachi even once.

It was harder than she'd thought, especially when she got the impression that Itachi was not turning to look at her, either. For some reason, that hurt Sakura's feelings. She decided she was just overtired and pushed the discomfort away.

As the morning session wound down, exhausted from her practice, Sakura felt light-headed as she stood in her row for the last time that morning. Her hands clasped behind her back, shoulders sore, she felt like she would drop at any moment. However she was bursting with pride at having survived and understood why their school had such a fierce reputation in tournaments, if this was the level even their newest recruits trained at. She wanted to be one of the best; she would train every day if she had to. She had enjoyed the strain and stamina-testing, and knew she could improve. She would improve.

In a way, it gave her something to strive towards and take pride in, something to focus on that wasn't purely academic, that wouldn't involve her heart and mind so much as the power that thrummed through her body. She had needed this, she realized. A physical release. Even her emotions had calmed through her physical exhaustion, and she felt a sense of peace.

Yes, she would keep up her running; and it would give her an edge with her martial arts, she decided. As she watched the highest ranked students putting away their weapons, her resolve strengthened. Yes, she had something to work towards. She wanted to learn how to use her body to the fullest extent.

"And for some final announcements!" called Kisame from the front of the dojo.

Sakura snapped to attention, even as her vision swam a moment. She'd been, admittedly, more out of shape than she'd anticipated. Perhaps she'd double her running after this. And add in a bit of weight lifting.

"Newbies, you are officially white-belts for now until you can prove otherwise. We can tell some of you are beyond that. You can show your certificates or belts to any of your senseis for verification, if you feel you want to move up to another level sooner rather than later. We will officially test you at the end of term at the level we see fit.

"Returning students, you are expected to assist your kohai; this extends outside of these four walls. You are colleagues and you will act accordingly, and as befitting the most prestigious institutions and club to which you are members.

"Finally, to congratulate you on your efforts today, your senseis invite you all out to _Akatsuki _this evening, starting around 10pm. With proof of membership to the Martial Arts club—this means your membership sticker on your university ID—your cover fee is waived. Present yourselves to the staff entrance and you will join your sempai and sensei in a private room, and the first round is on us."

A whispered rabble broke out, excitement high. Kisame's stern face cracked a grin.

"We of course expect you to enjoy responsibly."

"Hai, Sensei!"

"For now, we'll bow out and you can go get a start on your classwork, clean up, or do whatever it is you crazy kids do these days. We'll see you this evening. Let your sempai know if you need a ride to or from the club, they are happy to oblige," he finished with a death glare at the upper years.

They swallowed and nodded. "Hai, Sensei Hoshigaki."

"Kiritsu! Rei!"

And the practice was over.

Without looking behind her, Sakura slid out of the room quickly and quietly.

Gods, she prayed Ino didn't find out about that evening. VIP access to _Akatsuki _would be a dream come true for her, and a potentially embarrassing nightmare for Sakura.

* * *

_Why didn't you tell me you had an all-access pass to the hottest club in the country tonight!? You selfish bitch! Hurry up and get over here so I have time to do our hair and make-up! _

Sakura groaned as she saw her phone light up with another text from Ino. When she found out who had sold her out, she would ensure crows and turkey vultures feasted on their remains. She was sure Sasuke would help her—

She squeezed her eyes shut. Then let out a deep, cleansing breath.

_Really not up for it tonight, Pig. Raincheck?_

Sakura debated putting her phone in the freezer and feigning a headache but Ino beat her by three seconds. Her phone vibrated and pinged obnoxiously, making her sigh.

_THIS ISN'T UP FOR DISCUSSION, FOREHEAD. Now get your booty to my office—and by office I mean dorm—and bring your sluttiest, er, most attractive clothing with you. You can stay the night here, I already checked with my floor-manager. _

Sakura swallowed a mouthful of her water before decided to come clean with her best friend.

_Ino, Itachi is going to be there. I really don't feel up for this,_ she typed. Gods she hated being honest and vulnerable around Ino.

_Good, I'll be able to thank him for letting me register for his tutorial section. _

There was a pause, then Sakura's phone buzzed again with another message from Ino.

_Well, if you really don't want to go, that's okay. I'll see if he can be persuaded to blondes. Think he'll let me buy him a drink? _

Choking on her water, Sakura felt her eyes burn and she dropped her glass awkwardly on the counter, spilling everywhere. Her phone buzzed again.

_Ooooh, think he'll be wearing that snug hip-wraparound black waiter apron again? I could totally visually appreciate that fine piece of—_

Sakura flushed and, lips pressed firmly together, stabbed the Reply button.

_He is your professor, Ino, for god's sake don't sexually harass him. It could cost you your GPA._

_But what a way to go!_ replied Ino. She added a winking smiley face in the next text.

Face hot and uncomfortable, Sakura took several deep breaths before glaring at the phone again.

_I hate you so much. Just so you know_, typed Sakura.

_So, see you at seven thirty? _

_Eight to eight thirty_, typed Sakura. _I have to find something to wear._

_I can help!_

_Something that doesn't scream 'bangable at a discount'_, typed Sakura.

… _just for that, you don't get to borrow shoes for a week._

_I'm holding you to that,_ typed Sakura.

Grabbing a cloth, Sakura set her phone down on a shelf and set to clean up the spilled water.

What was she getting herself into?

Automatically she reached for her phone and started typing in Sasuke's number to tell him what Ino was doing, and vent and bitch and get it out, before she swallowed and slowly set it down again.

Her chest squeezed for a moment before she blinked, hung up the towel, and started for her room.

_Get up, dress up, show up, _she told herself firmly. _Get up, dress up, show up._

* * *

"You are going to have so much fun tonight, introducing me to all your new friends!"

"If by 'fun' you mean, 'crippling humiliation', and by 'new friends', you mean 'people I have suffered and sweat with', you're probably right."

"Well, you're in a better mood," pointed out Ino as the girls approached the booming club.

"Resignation suits me," said Sakura, flipping her loose hair over her shoulder. She had braided her bangs around her head like a crown, and loosely curled and waved the rest to hang down her back, away from her face. Her black button-up short sleeve top, jean skirt and boots were comfortable and just trendy enough to pass Ino's critical inspection.

"Lots of things suit you, and so does having a good time and letting your inhibitions just a teensy bit of free rein," said Ino, holding up her fingers as they measured an inch in the air. She looped her arm through Sakura's elbow and leaned into her, resting her head on her shoulder. "I mean it, Sak; freedom isn't the terrifying, solitary, independent nunnery-hood you try to embody. I miss seeing you happy. I want you to stretch your wings again and try new things. Don't cut too loose, but let yourself… look at new possibilities. Just look. No one is going to cut you down for looking."

Sakura patted Ino's hand as it rested on her forearm. "My armour, my way, Ino. I'll get there."

"Yes, but it would be nice if you did it pre-menopausal. We could rock this joint if we hit it as a single-woman tag-team."

Sakura laughed. "They'd never know what hit 'em."

"Oh, they'd never forget!" said Ino, eyes gleaming.

"I'm not sure everyone would survive."

"They'd love it, going down," Ino laughed as they reached the staff entrance to _Akatsuki_.

"I don't know what you ladies are talking about, but I want in on the—ouch! What the fuck, Kisame!"

"Screw something else, Hidan," growled Kisame, wiping his hand on his pant leg. He held open the entrance for them. "And what the Hell did you put in your hair?" He turned to Sakura and Ino, giving them a nod. "Through here, down the hall, first door on the right is the ladies room, the next door on the left is the VIP MA club room for the night. Please ignore douchebags like Hidan here. No, Sakura, you don't need to call him Sensei. Ever. The others will probably stop in from time to time, so make yourself at home."

"Thank you, Professor Hoshigaki!"

Kisame shook his head at Ino, "Kisame is fine, for tonight."

"Thanks, Kisame," said Sakura, smiling up at him.

"Oy," he said quietly, touching her elbow as Ino trotted in ahead. "You holding up okay?"

"Absolutely."

Kisame looked at her a moment, and Sakura swallowed, unsure how well her sensei and sort-of-friend-or-acquaintance could read her. How much could, or should, she say to him without things getting awkward?

Was there an etiquette for this kind of situation?

Kisame blew out hard through his nose, and shook his head. "He is in there. He is leaving you alone so that the rumours don't flare up again. He would tell you himself, but he doesn't want to put you in a tight spot, socially or academically. I think things will have calmed down enough by next term that the two of you should be able to at least talk to each other without others making a bigger deal out of things."

"Thanks, Kisame. I didn't… I didn't know what to say or do, in class. So we just ignore each other for now?" Sakura looked up at him, brows furrowed.

"There isn't anything else between you, really, now that you and his brother broke up, right? He's just someone you used to know."

"I guess," she said, voice unsure. "Just a crazy moment in time, shared between acquaintances."

Kisame's face turned serious; he opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Ino calling.

"Sak, you coming?"

Sakura nodded to Kisame before following after Ino, her thoughts confused and undecided.

"'Later, Kisame."

He grunted at them before turning back to the doorway.

* * *

"Can I get you a drink?"

"Um, no, thanks," said Sakura, barely glancing at the third (or fourth? fifth?) young man who'd approached her that evening as she sat huddled on the leather armchair, tucked away in a corner of the VIP room.

Around her groups of new friends milled and formed new relationships amidst the thumping bass and elegantly dressed drinks. Fresh flower arrangements burst with colour in the dark room, lit with small, intimate lamps here and there at chatting tables. Ino had nipped away a few moments before to the ladies room, leaving Sakura alone for the first time since they'd arrived. There had been no shortage of attention, however Ino had been the one navigating the throngs for them both. Sakura wasn't being anti-social, per se, she just… felt like she was running on auto-pilot.

_Was there really nothing else between me and Itachi_, wondered Sakura as she swirled the ice around her glass. _Really? _Knowing each other for years, peripherally, but not really interacting much. Kisame may have a point.

Really, what did she have to say to him?

Not for the first time, she felt like reaching out to the one person who had always understood her but was now too far away to help.

Then she wondered why she felt the need to reach out to him. Slowly, resentment and frustration pooled, deep inside her. She was here, at a social event, where she could safely relax and enjoy herself (because she knew deep down Ino was still hawk-eyeing her and wouldn't let her do anything too stupid), and she was still agonizing over Sasuke.

The jerk who had abandoned her so he could screw his education and instead try and join up with a shady corporation that only wanted him for his family connections.

The only guy she had ever pictured herself with, whom she'd saved herself for, and who had left her a goddamned wreck that Ino had had to piece back together over and over again.

And Ino, who had been nothing but supportive (if annoying —but well-intentioned), had been trying to get her to see the light for weeks, and Sakura hadn't understood how depressed and alone she'd been feeling, until right. now.

Her anger having risen to her heart, Sakura felt new energy flood her veins, and for the first time really looked around her and saw what Ino had been trying to show her for weeks: that her world was now open with possibilities.

No, she and Itachi didn't have anything to talk about right now. So what? They could be civil and move on.

Fuck Sasuke. She would text him at Christmas to make sure she was able to check his room one last time for any of her remaining stuff, assuming he came home to visit, but otherwise, it was over.

Right now, she was Sakura goddamned Haruno: she was young, hot, single and damn intelligent, and hell, she felt like living a little.

She tossed back her head and swallowed the remnants of her drink in one gulp.

Actually, maybe she felt like living a lot, she decided as the tequila burned deliciously on its way down. Ino was right, it did go well with Sriracha and lime.

A blond head popped into view, and Sakura smiled at her best friend.

"I'm back, we can party again!" said Ino, make-up refreshed as she bumped her hip into the cushioned arm of Sakura's black leather seat.

And, just to see Ino's reaction, Sakura nodded and held up her hand, preparing to stand. "You're right. Let's get out there, Pig." Sakura brushed down her skirt, straightened her top, and took Ino's hand. "Let's dance."

"What? You—you're really going to—oh my god, what happened? Let me check your drink!" Ino grabbed at Sakura's glass, but Sakura held it out of her reach and shook her head.

"Maybe I just finally started listening to the right person," said Sakura.

Ino straightened and flipped her hair. "You mean, fabulous moi?"

"Hells no. Me!" laughed Sakura, and ignored Ino's eye-rolling. They crossed the crowded VIP room and made their way to the main dance floor, down the corridor.

Sakura paused with Ino as the cute upperclassman blushed and rubbed at the back of his head, his eyes on Sakura.

"Hey, I know this is a shot in the dark, but could I buy you a drink?"

Ino opened her rouged lips to speak, but Sakura squeezed her best friend's hand and smiled at the man.

"I'd love that. And hi, I'm Sakura..."

Behind her, Ino's eyes bulged comically and Sakura looked over her shoulder to wink at her best friend before nodding at Ino to join her. "_He has a friend,"_ she mouthed to Ino.

"_I'm coming!"_ Ino mouthed back, hurrying on her too-tall heels.

Together the girls linked arms and giggled as they met the two young men at the bar.

From behind them, a man hidden in the crowd observed their interaction.

And from the small wall of security screens in the main office, Itachi watched with a clenched fist as the pair of young men chatted up Sakura and Ino while they drank together.

On the screen, Sakura burst out laughing; Itachi turned away and picked up his cane, limping back to the VIP room through the darkened corridors.

* * *

"...which is how I joined up with Sakura for the _Students for Society_ club. They do all this fundraising and volunteering on campus. Oh, and the _Campus Response Team_. They volunteer with first aid for special events on campus. Sakura thought they would be good activities for me, since I have so much energy and I'm so good with people. How about you, man? You joined any activities or societies or evil syndicates? You've been in Oto for weeks now. You never talk about what you do outside of work. What gives?"

_How was it that Naruto managed to be just as exuberant and exhausting over the phone as in person_, Sasuke wondered, still bewildered. Night had fallen and for once there wasn't a mad pumping of dance music and drunken revelry serving as Naruto's background music during their call. It was almost refreshing, except it made it even more obvious and painful just how full of life Naruto was. Overflowing, in fact. Right into Sasuke's life. And ears.

In his room, Sasuke had once again set his phone down by his bedside table this time, leaving his hands free to stretch behind his head as he lay on his bed. He'd loosened his tie and kicked off his shoes, and closed his eyes; his seventy hour week was done. All he wanted was sleep and oblivion for a few hours.

Instead he had Naruto.

"I'm busy," he replied, answering Naruto's question.

"But you aren't going to make _connections_, Sauce-pants! Business deals aren't made in the boardroom. They're made in fitness clubs and at parties and on golf courses. It's the networking thing my mentor-guy told me about. That's why Sakura's making me join these clubs with her, to help me network and stuff. You should try it, it would be good to make some friends. No matter how prickly an island you are, you need to get out, man. I'm telling ya, put your sourpuss hottie-face to work."

Mr Sourpuss Hottie-Face took a pained breath and staggered at just how debilitating it was that Naruto made sense in spite of himself.

"... what do you suggest?" asked Sasuke, voice cautious. Deep inside, a smidge of his confidence committed mental seppuku that he was asking Naruto of all people for career advice.

"Weren't you listening?" Naruto sighed and huffed and grumbled under his breath before he made rustling noises. "Hold on, I have a list of Networking Opportunities for Young People that my counsellor gave me. She was really helpful this week when I mentioned I joined the clubs and gave me a bunch of papers… where'd I put them… are they in the kitchen?... Hold on a sec." With that the phone dropped and Sasuke startled and winced at the crashing noise.

"Be right back!" Naruto called, his voice distorted by a slight echo on the line.

"I'll just wait here," muttered Sasuke, settling back onto his bed again. Also, why was Naruto putting the phone down? It was a cellphone, not a landline. The idiot.

—until Sasuke heard Naruto talking to someone else, and the faint murmuring of a female voice.

Stunned to his core, Sasuke stiffened in his bed, his ears straining.

Did Naruto have a girlfriend?

Sasuke's face turned to stone.

What the Hell was wrong in the world that Naruto had a girlfriend while he did not?

There came the sounds of scrabbling as someone picked up Naruto's phone.

"Aha!" crowed Naruto, far too loud in Sasuke's ears. "So I'm going to e-mail you this site the career counsellor gave me; you can check it out to get ideas of where to start socializing like a little horsefly."

"Butterfly."

"Whatever. Do it. You'll see yourself move on up even faster, after!"

Oh sweet Christ, was Sasuke really considering taking Naruto's advice?

He found himself nodding in spite of himself. "Thanks."

Yes, yes he was.

"Are you busy tonight?" Sasuke asked, looking suspiciously at his phone like he could make it fess up for Naruto.

"Nah, not really. Just have a friend over. She's helping me make supper while we talk, then we're watching a movie. Pretty laid-back, here. How about you? You hiding any lady friends?" wheedled Naruto.

"Too busy," said Sasuke.

Naruto made a choking, laughing noise. "Sauce-pants, you're so busy being busy you're missing out on everything you're working for!"

The world really did have it in for Sasuke that night, for again, breaking some kind of cosmic rule, he agreed with Naruto.

Now that was a scary realization.

* * *

It was several days later when Ino glared at Sakura in class and leaned close to her ear to hiss at her.

"You promised you were going to take it easy for a bit!"

"I am taking it easy. It's two more clubs, Ino. And they don't meet very often. The _Students for Society_ club is a volunteer and fundraising club, and the _Campus Response Team_ is made up of volunteers with First Aid experience who help out at campus and community events. They have meetings once a month, and then help out at events they've signed up for. If you aren't available, you don't sign up. Not a big time commitment. You should look into _Students for Society_, I think you'd like it. Naruto joined with me."

"You're doing an activity with him but not with me?"

"I have classes with you, Ino. I barely get to see Naruto."

"It's not the same thing!"

"I go to bars with you. Every. Weekend. I was even your wingman on Saturday." Which had nearly killed her at first; but once she got into it, it hadn't been so bad. And she had lots of new friends, now. She smiled at a classmate she'd seen at _Akatsuki _on Saturday, and the girl waved back.

Ino pursed her lips and furrowed her brow a moment before leaning back into her seat again. "You're sure you won't consider _Intro to Stripperobics_? It is an awesome core workout, lots of pole work and flexibility."

"It conflicts with MA club, sorry." Sakura crossed her fingers; it conflicted on one night, but not the other.

"We'll talk more after class," promised Ino as their professor walked in.

Sakura nodded and glanced at her last class's notes to review, then prepped a fresh page of loose leaf in her clipboard.

* * *

"... and to remind you that while I am away at a conference this coming week, my assistant, PhD Candidate Itachi Uchiha, will be directing class and answering questions. The course webpage will be updated with the readings he has assigned for you, and he hopes you all enjoy them and read them in advance in preparation for class discussion."

_Well, damn. _

As class ended, while Ino bounced in her seat and already had the site up on her phone, Sakura mentally winced. Perhaps she should ask to drop the class and pick it up again next semester; he wouldn't be the TA two semesters in a row, right?

_Are you letting an Uchiha intimidate you? Need I remind you that a few months ago, you threatened to kick him so hard that every time he swallowed he'd be licking his own balls? Grow a pair, Sakura: the pair on your chest. You can do this. Read, prep, and then give no ground._

With a twist of her lips, Sakura realized her inner self sounded like a bloodthirsty Ino, and she stifled a chuckle.

"So we're good for tonight, right?"

"No, I had said I wasn't good for tonight because I have extra readings to do and need to get through them today before I start on my group work this weekend," said Sakura, packing her bag as she spoke. "I can't go out this weekend with you Ino. Group project season has started, unfortunately."

"Tomorrow?"

"No."

"Shopping?"

"For groceries. I need to stock up on…" _Damn. Almost everything_, she thought. "Lots. Car?"

Ino pressed her lips together and shook her head. "Uh, no car for me for a while…"

Sakura looked at her friend, brow arched. "What happened?"

"Nothing… bad."

Sakura just looked at her.

"We'll talk about that later. It's not very exciting. Kinda boring, actually."

"That your parents, who let you act and dress like you do, put their foot down for once? Uh, yeah, this is news. What did you do?"

"Nothing. I swear. Anyway, so, no car. Did you want to…" Ino cringed. "... take the bus? I can get us lots of Lysol wipes, if you do. We can, like, clean the seats and bars and things before we sit down. And before we leave. To make sure no one collects our hair for weird fetishy stuff. We can take the bus… really."

"Take a deep breath, Ino, you're hyperventilating."

"I'll be okay."

"We'll walk there, and I'll call us a cab back," sighed Sakura. "I'm out of the big stuff, like laundry detergent. I can't carry that and groceries at the same time."

They walked down the stairs in the auditorium, past the podium, down into the corridors.

"If you have any laundry you need to do right away, bring it with you tomorrow. I can ask my parents to help you out and do it while we're in class. They love you and think you're the second coming and all."

"It's okay. How about Saturday afternoon, for shopping? Meet at my place, and we'll walk over to the twenty four hour grocery store around two thirty or so? Then we can make it back to my place and I'll make supper and we'll get through our readings for the week. That work?"

"I can't believe I am giving up a Saturday to you for groceries and studying. I am failing my stellar reputation by supporting you, you know."

"And I love you for it, Pig."

"Argh!"

They laughed together and passed their professor.

"Have a good conference talk, ma'am!"

"Thank you, girls," the professor smiled, waving at them.

She was still smiling as she returned to her office, a few minutes later.

"Some good news?" asked Itachi, pouring himself a cup of tea in the department kitchenette.

"Oh, just some of my students. Two girls were talking about their weekend plans; I had pegged them for partiers, or at least one of them. But instead of going out this weekend to the bars, they were talking about catching buses to the grocery store for shopping. It just reminded me of my undergrad days. Sa… Sa… Sakamoto? No! Sakura, that's her name. And her blonde friend, Ino. You'll see them in class on Friday. They always sit together. Quite bright, chatty. You'll notice them right away."

Itachi had stilled as he listened to his professor speak as she prepared her coffee.

"It sounded like Ino wasn't interested in taking the bus, but Sakura said they'd get a cab back. Poor thing, she's so bright but I understand she's a scholarship student. Things must be tough. If she can prove herself this year, perhaps she'll be eligible for financial aid. Well, we'll see how things go at midterms; I could be completely wrong," said the professor, more to herself.

"She won't disappoint you," said Itachi.

"Hmm?" The professor looked up from her cup, tossing her stir-stick into the recycling.

Itachi shook his head, a polite smile on his face. "Nothing, I'll head back to my desk. A pleasure, enjoy your coffee."

"You, too! Be ready on Friday; they'll be extra-prepared, I think!" She laughed as she walked away.

Well, Itachi knew at least one of them would be.

_In the meantime… _

He pulled out his phone and texted his mother.

* * *

Another MA club practice later and Sakura was finally overcoming the soreness of her first week with the team. She had been ranked higher-mid-level, and Kisame had taken her under his wing as his new 'demo' partner.

"That's it! Keep running!" he called after them, laughing as they scrambled over a small hill on campus.

"Haruno! Recite the team motto and song as you climb; it'll motivate everyone."

"Haruno! Get over here and act like an assailant while I show you all how to wipe the floor with assailants. You signed those three waivers, you're good, get a move on…"

"Haruno! Why do you look so tired? Get down and give me twenty push-ups, reciting your new team members' names; if you miss any, you need to re-start."

"Do you know their names to know if I'm wrong?" She asked, her jaw clenched as she glared at him. "Midori." "Konami." "Sousuke…"

"Why do you think you're doing the push-ups!" He laughed.

Her next set of push-ups were done on her knuckles.

Occasionally Itachi would show up to speak to Kisame or one of the other senseis, but only for a few minutes. He never looked over at her.

Sakura didn't make any effort to reach out to him, either.

Friday morning dawned overcast and foggy, and Ino joined her in class, buzzing with excitement.

"Today's the day!"

"Are you still this crazed over having him for our prof for one class?"

"It'll be the most amazing institutional educational experience of our lives," said Ino, clipboard, fresh paper, notes, textbooks, and three dozen pens already scrambling for space on her desk.

Sakura's brows shot into her hairline. "Did you actually read ahead and prepare for class? How many pens do you have?"

"This could border on a religious experience, Sakura, if he's as good at teaching as he is everything else. If he asks me a question, I need to be ready, damn it! SHOBU, BITCHES!"

"Shhhhh!" Sakura glanced around, shushing Ino… then saw the rest of the young women in class were equally as armed as Ino. And eyeing every other woman in the lecture hall like potential enemies. There was a lot of threat-reconnoitring going on.

"... did I miss the memo for this one?" asked Sakura, noting how every girl in class was wearing make-up. And crazy shoes. And push-up bras with ultra-snug, black, glittery v-neck t-shirts. For a noon-hour class.

"Obviously."

Sakura glared at Ino's scoffing.

"Oh. Yeah, sorry. I meant to text you. Or something."

Sakura rolled her eyes and got out her notes, settling back in her seat.

When Itachi entered the lecture hall, the class went silent and scootched to the front edge of their seats. One could have heard a pin drop.

Itachi cleared his throat; they leaned forward further.

"Hello, did you have a good week?"

"YES SIR."

"YOU LOOK SO HOT."

Sakura watched Itachi's brows pinch together before smoothing, and he nodded to the class. "That's good. Have you all done your readings? Did you have any questions?"

Every hand in the room shot up, save Sakura's.

From the podium, Itachi just looked at them for a moment.

Then he lowered the screen behind him, and tapped a key on the tablet hooked up to the podium's projector controls.

"Well, let's get started."

With that he began his, Sakura had to admit, fascinating lecture. He left plenty of opportunity for questions to be asked, yet covered the material so thoroughly that few needed to raise their hands after all.

"He's pretty good," murmured Sakura to Ino, part way through one of Itachi's answers to a student's question. The class was enraptured.

"Shhhh!"

For a second, Sakura would have sworn Ino had been replaced by a pod-person.

Ino was… not… gossiping?

Mentally, Sakura swore even as her jaw dropped.

"Did you have a question?"

Sakura whirled around in her seat to meet Itachi's inquisitive gaze.

A bit startled, she just pointed to herself.

He nodded.

She shook her head.

He gave her a small smile and nodded before turning back to the rest of the class and moving on to the next section of his lecture.

What just happened?

… he had just treated her…

Sakura perked up slightly, though still bit the inside of her lip.

… like anyone else he was teaching.

Conflicted, she tucked back into her notes and the lecture, her lips pressed together as she tried to figure out why she was both relieved and disappointed.

* * *

AN: For anyone interested in what some of the visuals look like for "Forest Fire II" (FF II), I have a Pinterest board dedicated to this story. The link is in my author profile. And yes, this is an extra chapter for you this month, as it is Sakura's birthday this week. Happy reading!


	4. Chapter 4

"Ooooh, Sakura, did you see this?!"

Sakura dragged herself away from the cereal aisle for the fourth time at Ino's call.

With tired eyes and a weary voice, Sakura looked around to locate her friend. "What now, Pig?"

"Did you know they sell cereal bars now!?"

"..."

"I mean, did you know they stock cereal bars here, in the cereal aisle as well as the granola bar aisle!?"

Sakura took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Thank goodness they have us covered," she muttered, returning to the cereal section. Was it that hard to find Raisin Bran in a smaller-than-Super-Family-Bulk size? She'd been looking for a good five minutes and it remained elusive. It wasn't the weight that was the problem, it was the dimensions of the box…

Sakura leaned further into the shelf, pushing aside a few of the bigger boxes to see what was behind them.

"Did someone move them behind these ones…"

"Uh, Sakura?"

"Not now, Pig. Looking for something."

Ino tapped her on the arm. "Mmmm, could you turn around for just a sec, there's—"

"Ino, I swear, if you are losing your shit over the cereal bars again I will ram them so far up your—" With a quick jerk of her arm, she yanked free of Ino's grip.

"Sakura, is that you?"

She snapped around so quickly at the new voice that she grazed her head on the cereal shelving. "Mikoto-san! Hi!"

From behind a lightly packed shopping cart, Sasuke and Itachi's mom smiled warmly at Sakura. "Funny meeting you here! Even university students need to eat, I see."

"Yeah. Yeah, hahaha, sorry, I was just shopping with Ino and.." She backpedalled, embarrassed about her poor language from a moment prior. "How are you doing? Shisui mentioned the house repairs were going well."

"They are, we're very fortunate. Luckily only the garage and living room sustained major damage. Most of the rest of the house was all right, apart from a bit of smoke. Which reminds me, I think we still have some of your things. Would you like to come by sometime this weekend to collect them?"

"Oh, I'm… I would love to, but I don't have a vehicle right now. If you can hold on to them for just a bit longer, I'll see if Ino can give me a ride when she has access to her car again. Is that okay? I'm so sorry to be a bother."

Mikoto was already waving her hand in an elegant, gentle gesture. "Oh, there's no rush at all. I was just worried you may have need of some of it. If you aren't inconvenienced, it can stay where it is. We had everything cleaned, just to be safe. Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm not keeping you from your shopping, am I?" She glanced down at Sakura's and Ino's overflowing baskets.

"Would you like some help with your shopping? I only needed a small portion of my cart." Mikoto pushed it forward, and shuffled her paltry items aside. Three tubes of toothpaste. "Please, put at least two of your baskets inside," she deftly snatched a basket straight from Ino's hands before the blond could react, "and Sakura, you pass me yours… And we'll put that there, and that there, and aha! There we go!"

Still a bit stunned, Ino and Sakura looked at each other.

Mikoto beamed at the girls, dusting her hands off. As if dirt would dare infringe upon her realm of perfection. "Now, was there anything else you needed?"

Finding her voice again, Sakura blinked and thumbed in the direction of the cereal shelves. "Uh, just my Raisin Bran, but I can't seem to find the—"

"This one?" Mikoto lifted up the precise box Sakura had been lusting after.

Ino gaped. "How'd she do that!?"

"… how did you find that? I've been looking for almost ten minutes. Wow, thank you, that's exactly what I wanted. Thank you, Mikoto!"

With a happy sound, Mikoto tossed it onto the top of the (now mountainous) cart of groceries. "Hn?"

The familiar sound tugged at Sakura's heart for a moment before she shook it off. Though her skin prickled in warning. Funny how everything had just started going right when Mikoto appeared out of thin air...

"If this is everything, I think a cashier just opened up… oh look, right over there! Follow me, girls!"

In her happy sing-song tone, Mikoto led a spell-bound Ino and Sakura to the nearest cashier who somehow didn't have a single customer in spite of the long line-ups at every other till.

"This woman is magic!" Ino whispered to Sakura, awestruck.

_Yes, possibly black magic,_ Sakura decided, as they somehow ended up saving nearly a hundred dollars thanks to the coupons Mikoto miraculously 'found' in her cute little purse. The hell. The woman worked in mysterious ways, Sakura mused.

But their luck turned as they made their way outside with the overflowing cart, the heavens darkening and threatening to unleash their torrents upon the pair of overburdened university students.

"Do you girls need a ride?"

"Oh, we couldn't impose—" Began Sakura.

"Not at all! I brought the big SUV, there's plenty of room!" insisted Mikoto. With a push of a button, the lights flashed and engine started on the closest vehicle to them in the parking lot.

—or maybe not.

"Isn't that normally a designated parking spot for expectant mothers or something?" asked Ino, eyeing the spot askance.

"Hn?" Mikoto smiled at Ino. The hair on the back of Sakura's neck flared briefly.

"Nothing!" yelped Ino, as Sakura pinched and twisted the skin at her friend's elbow.

"Thank you, Mikoto. We really appreciate the ride," said Sakura as they loaded the groceries into the rear of the vehicle. Ino gave Sakura a distinct What The Hell-look as she rubbed her elbow, but for once kept quiet.

"Oh, I'm always happy to help, Sakura. So, how are classes going for you both this term? Are you in any of Itachi's classes? I know he said he was hoping to see you around campus…"

"He's our TA, actually, for one of our classes. And I joined the Martial Arts club, so I see him there sometimes… I think he's taking a bit of a break from that this term, though. He seems very busy. And tired," admitted Sakura.

Mikoto shook her head. "That boy doesn't know the meaning of the word 'relax'. He needs to settle down and get laid."

Ino and Sakura choked.

Ignoring them both, Mikoto's smile widened again, her eyes closing to crescents as she drove like a rally specialist through the streets. "So, are you two seeing anyone these days? I remember my days as a sorority girl… Oh, the fun we used to have! I remember this one time, before I met Sasuke and Itachi's father, of course…"

* * *

Mikoto waved goodbye to the girls after dropping a trembling Sakura and Ino off at Sakura's home.

"I'll see you girls later! Call me if you need a ride again!"

"Thank you, Mrs Uchiha!"

"Thank you, Mikoto!"

As she pulled away she called up her phone via voice command.

"Call: NumberOneSon"

"Hi Mother."

"Darling! Guess who I just dropped off at home?"

"... I thought I just asked you to check in with her and say 'hi'?" Itachi's voice was dry, and hesitant.

"But I missed Sakura! And Ino looks well, too. And you know how we are, we got to talking, and then they didn't have a vehicle, and I happened to bring the big car today—"

"You normally take the roadster for shopping, Mother. And you normally go shopping on Tuesdays…"

"I ran out of… toothpaste. And things."

Itachi sighed, and Mikoto was sure he was rubbing his face.

"Anyway, we got to talking, and I found out Sakura isn't seeing anyone, and she likes her classes, and Ino said you were a great lecturer! Isn't that fantastic, honey! I knew you'd be good at that."

"Thank you, Mother. And Sakura's back at home, now? Safely? She didn't fall out of the car and kiss the ground?"

"... not in so many words. But you know, girls exaggerate these days. And I don't appreciate that sighing, Itachi, that's rude."

"Yes, Mother."

"She's doing fine. She has her friends, and she's doing fine."

"Thank you, Mother."

"Anytime, darling. So, when do you need to go shopping? I have the big car!"

"Perhaps another time."

Mikoto pouted.

* * *

His cubicle was neat as a pin, his work filed and complete for the day, and it was hours after most of his coworkers had left. With a final check of his bag, Sasuke tucked his phone into the breast pocket of his fitted coat and zipped up.

The elevator, strangely, was not deserted as it typically was at that late hour.

"Hey! Uchiha!"

"Uchiha!"

"U-chi-chi-chiha!"

They laughed. Sasuke ignored them.

"Aw, come on. Seriously, lighten up. We're just joshing ya. My name's Suigetsu. This is Karin, Juugo, and a few friends from Accounting."

Sasuke looked them over, the red-haired girl seeming familiar. From the train, he realized. They must live in the same complex. He nodded to them.

"Anyway, we're heading out to _The Bomber_ for a bit, want to join us?"

"It's celebratory, not mandatory," explained Juugo, his soft voice startling in the face of such a huge form. "Our boss made a… well, things went well for him."

"Thank you, but I'm on my way home," said Sasuke. The elevator seemed to be slow that night. He just barely held himself back from button-mashing the 'DOWN NOW' arrow.

Karin winked at Sasuke. "You just might learn something new, you know, if you come out."

"Thank you, but—"

"Aw, are you always such a sourpuss?"

Sasuke paused.

He took his time before turning partway to meet Karins' gaze. "I won't be able to stay long," he said.

But Karin beamed at him, bouncing on her toes. "Even just a little while would be fun, we'd love to have you!"

"—all over herself, naked," snickered Suigetsu under his breath.

"Sui…" warned Juugo, frowning.

"Asshole," Karin spat at Suigetsu. But she turned a hopeful smile on Sasuke. "Really? You'll come out for a bit?"

He shrugged. "I am still learning much about Oto. This sounds like a good opportunity."

"We'll totally make it worth your while," promised Karin.

The dinging of the elevator doors cut off Suigetsu's smart-ass retort. Which was probably a good thing, as Sasuke learned at that moment that Suigetsu was remarkably easy fodder for Karin's killer left hook.

* * *

"U-chi-chi-chiha!"

"Suigetsu, if you call him that one more time, I am going to—"

"Lick me like a man-sicle-pop?"

"Ugh! You degenerate pervert!"

"Please excuse their… extreme… -ishness," said Juugo to Sasuke as they shared a booth at the nearby bar. A pitcher of premium ale sat on the table between them, each having consumed at least two mugs so far.

"Are they always like this?" Sasuke asked, eyeing the pair that hit and slapped each other without compunction.

"Yes," said Juugo, sadly. "For the most part, they're quite brilliant when they work together. But the minute the clock stops…" He sighed again.

Oddly, Sasuke sympathised with the large man.

"I understand you're from Konoha, originally? Do you have any family in the area?"

"Perhaps some distant cousins, but none of my immediate family. They are quite settled," said Sasuke, taking a drink from his ale.

"You must be homesick. I know I'd miss my family."

"Are you… from outside Oto, too?"

_So this is what socializing was_, thought Sasuke. He was nailing it.

"Oh, no. Sui, Karin and I have no family. Sometimes I'm worried they'll kill each other, too, and leave me all alone."

Sasuke's drink paused halfway to his mouth.

_Or maybe not. _Time to redirect.

"You mentioned a celebration earlier."

"Well, you didn't hear it from us," said Karin, finally abandoning her row with Sui for a chance at Sasuke's attention. "But one of the partners says he found a loophole in Konoha's trade agreement that would let us market our technology line without it being subject to the standard border tariffs."

Suigetsu lifted his mug and tipped it towards "Which means we could make a killing and undercut the market there, reaping massive profits. With the holiday season about two months away, this is the perfect time to start shipping things in. Even if it ended up being contested, there'd be no way for the Konoha government to stall or delay it, so we'd still end up in the green for the holiday season. Meaning big bonuses for our department come spring!"

"Konoha's a big market, potentially, for us," explained Juugo. "However, due to the protective domestic economic practices of its government, it is difficult to penetrate successfully."

Sasuke nodded, familiar with some of it.

"So we're celebrating preemptively," said Karin with a wink.

"Not concerned about counting chickens before they hatch?" said Sasuke.

Suigetsu waved his beer, froth sloshing over the side. "Noooooope! I checked the trade treaties myself. In this case, if we do it a certain way, we're completely in the clear… all the way to the bank, bitches, heh!"

Sasuke swallowed a mouthful of beer.

"Plus, Sui's got family-friends on that side of the border, in special places… it may take them a while to track a few important documents down…" said Karin, wrapping her hands around her mug and hunching her shoulders in. She looked coyly up at Sasuke. "So, if you want to perhaps ask for a transfer to Accounting, you may enjoy some of these rewards yourself… Sa-su-ke."

"She's. A. Whore," coughed Sui into his elbow, each syllable a noisy near-expletive.

"You know, nobody ever died from Shutting The Fuck UP, Sui-slut!"

Sasuke blinked as Karin whirled away from the frosted-tipped man to smile broadly at him. "You'll think about it, right?"

"There is no think, just do. But don't do Karin, she's got a caustic cun—"

"You insufferable son of a—!"

The pair let into one another again. While the table keeled sideways, Juugo grabbed hold of it to right it and Sasuke held tight to his beer, lifting it just enough to keep from tipping.

"Don't worry, I made sure Karin left the scissors at work tonight," said Juugo.

"Hn," said Sasuke. He drank another mouthful of beer.

* * *

"Sasuke, honey, how are you doing? How was your day?"

"Hi Mom. It went well."

"I tried you earlier, but there was no answer. Is everything okay?"

Sasuke let himself drop backwards onto his bed, his feet hanging off the end. He hadn't bothered to light anything beyond the ensuite lamps, his body too heavy, his head aching from the noise of Karin and Suigetsu's fights.

"Everything's fine. I went out tonight with some," _lunatics freaks ex-cons-to-be,_ "co-workers. We had a drink and talked shop."

"You went out with friends? Oh honey, that's wonderful! Look at you, socializing like a little honey bee! That's my baby!"

Sasuke closed his eyes and wondered what the Hell his mother was on.

"How are things at home?" he asked.

His mother nearly squealed with excitement. "Oh, wonderful! I met Sakura today at the grocery store. She was with Ino and the pair of them were just overrun with groceries, so I gave them a ride home, and then I called Itachi and he's doing well—Ino said he's a lecturer for a class she shares with Sakura, isn't that funny? Anyway, Ino said he's a fine lecturer and Itachi's busy as usual but it sounds like he's laying off his Martial Arts club a bit this term. His friend Kisame—you remember Kisame, right? Kisame is helping run the club, and it turns out that Sakura joined, too! But she's part of Kisame's group, and apparently he's just running them ragged, but Sakura looks quite happy, and healthy, and I let her know she was welcome to come by any time to collect her things, but she said there was no rush, so maybe you two will still see each other later!"

Sasuke breathed.

"Yeah, maybe," he said, his heart tight. "You and Dad doing well?"

"Yes, we're doing well. The house repairs are well underway, too, and hopefully they'll be done by the time you come home for the holidays. You are still coming home for Christmas, right, honey?"

"I think so," said Sasuke. He covered the mouthpiece of the phone as his jaw cracked on a yawn.

"Oh, I think I heard you yawning. Shall I let you go? Sorry to keep you up, I know you need to get up early for work in the morning."

"It's okay. It was just a longer night than usual," Sasuke explained, pulling himself up and running a hand through his hair. "I have started going to the gym before heading to work, and need to get some rest. Call you later this weekend?"

"Yes! I'll see if I can get your father on the phone next time. He's still at work, can you believe it? You leave the nest, and now he's working at all hours at the station, and I'm here all alone, and even Sakura isn't stopping by, and—"

He was talking to...well, maybe not Itachi, but someone... this week if it killed him, and he was making that person get his mother a dog. End of discussion.

"I miss you too, Mom. Do you need anything from Oto? I will be heading out shopping probably in a day or two."

"Oh! Well, if it isn't too much trouble…"

As tired as he was, as lonely as he was, Sasuke couldn't help smiling at the excitement in his mother's voice as he memorized her requests. He'd make sure she got exactly what she wanted, and the best of it, too.

* * *

The next day at work, Sasuke looked up at the group who passed by his desk.

"You up for a break? We're heading out for a bite to eat," said one young man.

"We're going to the new Italian eatery around the corner. Someone in Finance said their tomato sauce was the best in town," added another.

Recalling how much he'd learned the evening before, Sasuke considered.

And locked his computer, grabbing his coat.

"Think we'll be back by 1:30? I have a meeting," said Sasuke.

The group stared at Sasuke a moment, quieting. Sasuke ignored them, and pocketed his keys.

"Absolutely!" said the first man. "They have a rush-hour lunch special!"

"Good. Lead the way."

The chatter resumed and Sasuke joined the group. As he left, his eyes met Kabuto's as they passed each other in the lobby.

Kabuto's expression stilled before he grinned at Sasuke, sending him a wave. Sasuke nodded in return.

* * *

Humming softly, a dark-haired man flipped happily through the photos his printer churned out. Occasionally he'd select a particularly nice one and make doubles.

In the brown manila envelope at his side, he slid each package of photos, neatly arranged and paper-clipped together in chronological order.

Once he finished, he looked over in the corner at the girl with the short, dirty pink hair, the wide—he frowned—blue eyes, and the tear-stained gag tied roughly around her mouth.

"You tried too hard, with the contacts. Otherwise, you might have worked for a bit longer," he sighed.

He picked up one of his favourite pictures and smiled.

"So beautiful," he sighed. He began assembling a second envelope.

* * *

Sakura glanced at the thick manila envelope that had been slipped into her locker door. With living off-campus, she had decided to rent the on-campus locker to hold on to some of her books (and her lunch), as well as a change of clothes or two. She had kept the decision to herself, though, for fear of Naruto or Ino taking advantage of it and stowing their own things in there. Ino would stuff it full of the gods-only-knew-what—very possibly _The Shinobi Male Review_—, and Naruto would forget about whatever food he'd put in it and let it rot, so no, it was not a 'community' locker. It was hers. And she had found it very useful, almost comforting in a high-school-nostalgia way.

Until now.

She lifted the envelope and looked it over quickly before spying the clock on the wall opposite her. Ten minutes to class, and she had to get across to the other side of campus for this one.

"Hmm." She put the heavy package on the top shelf, and promptly forgot about it as she grabbed her books and umbrella. Bag packed once more, she shut the door and headed for the nearest exit.

**September: End**

* * *

_AN: …You didn't think I'd forgotten him, did you?_

* * *

FYI: Expect another chapter later this month to make up for this one being so short (gomen.) As my birthday is the 30th of this month, I've been saving up extra story/chapters updates on a few fanfics for you lovely readers as a special surprise. Stay tuned. Happy reading! Many thanks to pokesimmo for her wonderful beta help!

**To be continued...**


	5. October

**October**:

Sasuke sat in his meeting, memorizing each name and face, and their positions on the issues presented. He'd learned much from his recent lunches and breaks with his colleagues. He was still staying late, rarely going home until after seven or eight pm, but he was far more productive now that he was getting a feel for the true workings of the company.

_That one will hesitate,_ he mused to himself, and sure enough, that manager did.

_That one will push ahead, but forget details. It'll make him easier to manipulate_, he thought. He did. Sasuke mentally bookmarked the issue and set himself a reminder to go back to the man later with suggestions and research. If Sasuke was put on his projects, he didn't want to be left out to dry.

_That one will stay quiet, convene a smaller meeting later with her advisors, before sending out a memo to the others with her own suggestions. She was clever, but lacked confidence to speak out in front of others,_ Sasuke mused. However, she did listen to her team, and hers was one of the most successful areas of development within the company. Definitely an area he could learn from. However, teamwork had never been a strength. Could he lower himself to dealing with others constructively?

And there was the bleach-white blond, Kabuto, serving tea, smiling, chatting amiably with everyone as they entered, taking down notes and asking questions. He had no real position, but he always seemed to be around. Unknown. _Investigate further,_ he decided.

He went back to studying the other department heads and listened to the quiet comments and banter between his fellow employees.

To the right, someone caught his eye and winked. Karin.

He nodded at her.

After another moment of reflection, and a subtle glance to ensure no one was looking at him, he texted her.

_Have time for some Q&amp;A after work? Bring your friends. Same place._

Her reply buzzed in his hand, but he didn't need to look at it to know what it said. She liked him, of course it was an agreement.

He smirked to himself.

* * *

"Haruno!"

Sakura bowed to Kisame, and readied herself.

"Again!"

_Center yourself, breathe, focus._

Kyai unleashed as she made her first strike. She let her body twist, hit, kick, turn, and feel feel feel every movement. Her throat would be raw by the end of practice, but she would be stronger, looser, freer, for every form.

"Mind your centre of gravity as you come through the second block and twist to the left. Your balance is off, and someone could up-end you—like this—" Kisame swept his foot by the inside of her right knee and tugged, making her wobble, "and then you'd be on your back and fighting from the ground."

She nodded. "Thank you."

He offered her a hand, and she took it. "We'll be learning ground fighting next week," he promised with an evil wink.

"Oh goody," she said, but smirked back at him.

He laughed, making the rest of the students in their group shudder, but Sakura just grinned.

"The rest of you! Up! Haruno, move to the back so I can see everyone else," ordered Kisame, and Sakura bowed to him once more before jogging to the rear of their group.

On the far side of the gym, Hidan and Deidara were running the other students through their drills, and Konan was demonstrating advanced weapon forms—bo and sai—to the senior students.

Itachi hadn't shown up to practice that night. He hadn't been out to many of the weeknight practices, she noticed.

She shook her head and focused on Kisame once more. She enjoyed Kisame's teaching. He didn't hold back and innately sensed everyone's boundaries and strengths, from what she'd witnessed so far. She also found he had a pretty dry sense of humour. And he'd really only yelled at the other sensei—mostly Hidan. And Deidara. He never yelled at Konan. She had a sneaking suspicion he was afraid of her.

The large man clapped his hands to get their attention. "Ready? Hajime."

Though he was a taskmaster, she thought to herself, returning to the kata for the dozenth time that evening. Her knees were going to turn to jelly if this kept up.

_Yoga before bed,_ she promised herself, or she'd never be able to move in the morning. And she was not going to give Ino the satisfaction of 'I told you so'. She would be absolutely insufferable.

Flagging spirit renewed, in her mind Sakura listened to her own personal background music and smiled. _Harder, better, faster, stronger._

Her steps may have been a touch lighter and bouncier after she got into her groove again. If Kisame noticed, he only grinned at her knowingly.

* * *

In Itachi's office, Kisame and Itachi went over the MA club's members and reviewed their skills and progress.

"It's still early," said Kisame, and Itachi nodded.

"Yes, but far fewer members have left this term compared to previous ones, by this point. You're a good leader," said Itachi.

Kisame snorted, causing Itachi to look up.

"You still better be planning on coming back," he said, flicking his eyes up from his roster. "I'm pretty sure some of the others actually miss your condescending, emotionless punishments."

"I'm touched they're thinking of me."

Kisame laughed and enjoyed the spark he saw in Itachi's eyes. Debating with himself for a moment, Kisame set down his paper and asked, "Any word yet?"

"On?"

"Progress on the case. Your crazy relative."

Itachi was silent a moment before looking back down at his papers. "No."

"Anything I can do to help?"

Flipping through to the next page of his work, Itachi otherwise remained still. "Don't let her out of your sight," he said quietly.

Kisame sighed. "Of course not."

"Is she… How is she doing?"

Kisame smirked. "You'll see. She's a firecracker. Never gives up, gives her all, and still has enough spark in her to smartmouth me, respectfully."

A small twitch at the corners of Itachi's mouth gave away his pleased reaction, and Kisame's heart swelled, just a little.

"Good," was all Itachi said. "Moving on…"

* * *

Lunchtime on the Children's Ward approached. Sakura tidied up the board game she'd been playing with several of the less-mobile children, and put it on the shelf in the activity closet of the play area. It had been a very good day in the Ward, and she was happy to see that some of the children she worked with regularly were showing leaps of improvement.

Behind her in the hallway came the sound of a slowly rattling gurney, and a chipper young voice she quickly recognized.

"But it isn't time for my session, yet. My session today's later in the afternoon," Hamazaki, one of the younger boys on the Ward, said. "We can check with Sakura-san. She knows!"

"I think I know when your treatments are, kid," said the nurse, her tone exasperated.

Sakura bit her lip. Hama was right. His sessions were normally later in the afternoon.

Sliding the last game into the cupboard, Sakura slipped out of the Activity Room and snuck through a side corridor to by-pass Hamazaki and the nurse. She peeked into his room, and waved to the other little boy who roomed with Hama, Shuichi. "Hi Shuichi. How are you doing?"

"Good! It's lunchtime," he said, giving her a big smile which she returned.

"It looks like a yummy lunch," she said, walking over to the end of Hamazaki's bed. His chart was still there. Sakura frowned. The nurse should have taken it with her when she collected Hamazaki. It plainly stated his treatment session was later that afternoon. More worrying was the fact she saw the IV stand, still bagged, at the head of the bed. "Shuichi? Did you recognize the nurse who took Hama to his treatment? I don't think I've met her before. Is she new?"

Shuichi shook his head. "No, I don't think I'd seen her before. She may be a 'floater', from another department," he said. He'd been there long enough to pick up the routines—and lingo—for the department. It made Sakura smile over the uneasiness she felt running down her arms and shoulder blades.

"I'll go see if I can find her to introduce myself," said Sakura with a wink. "I'll see you later, right?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Sakura-san. You're silly!"

Sakura laughed with him and tucked the chart under her arm. "Be right back!"

Speeding her footsteps, Sakura went to the nurses' station and looked around. "Excuse me?"

"Yes?"

"Hamazaki. He's gone from his room with a new nurse, but she didn't take his chart. Do you know what treatment he was supposed to be going for? I'm happy to run it down to him for you. I know you're busy," said Sakura, giving the familiar nurse a warm smile. Her blood was pumping hard in her veins, though. She couldn't see Hamazaki anywhere.

"Hamazaki isn't due for treatment until later this afternoon, Sakura. Are you sure it was him? Did you check his room?" The nurse looked up Hamazaki's name on her computer screen, checking his electronic chart.

"I did, yes. I heard him leaving on a gurney. I didn't recognize the nurse. Could you please… I'm sorry, could you check one more time?" asked Sakura, straining to keep her voice even.

The nurse glanced up at Sakura, saw her pale face and over-wide eyes. And the chart clutched tightly in white-knuckled hands.

She nodded, her brows drawing together.

"No. He's not due to be escorted for another two hours or so.

Sakura swallowed.

"Which direction were they going in?" asked the nurse, her tone turning all-business.

"Down to the west elevators. She had him on a gurney. She sounded in her thirties or so," said Sakura immediately, her heart clutching in her chest.

"Hello, Security? We have a patient missing. Children's Ward. Age seven. Astronaut pyjamas, IV drip—".

"She left the IV drip in his room," broke in Sakura. "She took him on a gurney."

The nurse looked at Sakura, and her face set. Sakura saw her grip tighten on the phone handset.

"Security, we're going to need someone on the screens, immediately, and all exits manned and locked down. The patient is being escorted by possibly an unknown party posing as medical personnel. A woman, believed to be in her thirties," the nurse looked up at Sakura, who nodded. "And believed to be in the vicinity of the West elevators."

"I'm going to go look for him," mouthed Sakura, but the nurse was arguing with the security staff.

"I didn't see them leave, I don't know. It was just a few minutes ago, they can't have gone far. Please seal off all the entrances. We're going to do a roster-check here to see what's happened… Yes, yes…" The nurse looked up, opening her mouth to ask Sakura another question only to be met with silence.

Then a muted alarm began to chime, asking all employees to report to their heads for an emergency briefing, Code Adam.

Her grip tight on the clipboard chart, Sakura ran down to the elevators and looked at the numbers lit above it.

Four floors down, the elevator was stopped; all the elevators were stalled in their most recent destinations, and the rest were all for floors above her.

_Security works fast,_ she thought, pleased. But it meant she couldn't take it to catch up to the nurse. Already her feet were racing to the nearest stairwell. They would turn her out near the laundry and cafeteria, if she recalled correctly.

Forcing herself to be calm as she exited the stairwell, Sakura took deep breaths and scanned the wide hallways that were lined with scuff marks from the laundry and food carts that so frequently travelled through that thoroughfare. She turned towards the sound of raised voices and located grumbling porters and orderlies.

"Why's it have to go out of service now? It's lunchtime!"

"I know! Like we need another reason for the nurses to bitch at us during our busiest period," said another, gesturing angrily at the elevator.

"Excuse me!" called Sakura, waving her arm. They turned angry eyes on her, and she swallowed. "I'm looking for a patient who was misdirected to this floor. He's a little boy, in astronaut pyjamas. On a gurney. He has black hair—"

"The one the nurse just brought through?"

Sakura smiled brightly at the speaker. "Yes! Could you show me which way they went, please?"

With a nod, a few of the orderlies shuffled to the side, and pointed down one of the corridors. _Emergency Exit, Staff Parking Lot_, read the sign that hung at the entrance, with a large red arrow beneath it.

"Thank you so much! Uh," she read the nametag of the nearest orderly. "Rui, could you please call Security to let them know? I'm going to see if I can catch up to them," she called, already jogging after them.

"Calm, calm, calm," Sakura told herself as she broke into a run as she turned the corner to an empty hallway. Where were Security? Shouldn't they have been there by now? Maybe they were further up, closer to the exit doors.

_I'll be thanking Kisame later, at any rate,_ she mused with a grim smile. If she hadn't been in such good shape she never would have been able to cover so much ground, and still have energy to spare.

A sound from further up, beyond the next set of swinging doors, caught her attention and Sakura slowed and peeked through the window to see what was happening. She didn't want to knock anyone (or their cart) down, obviously, it would just make matters worse. She cracked the doors open an inch.

"... told you, this isn't the way to the treatment area! Where's my regular nurse?..."

_Hama!_

"Look, it's just a little further. We're taking a different route today."

"I want to call the nurses' desk."

"No! Listen, you fussy little brat, we're just taking a different route."

Sakura heard sniffling, and the gurney wheeling squeakily away, then hitting something, hard.

"Ow!"

"Shut it. Why won't these doors open?"

Another crash, harder.

"Ow! Stop hitting the doors with the bed!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched as she stepped back just far enough to unhook the nearby security-phone from the wall.

"Code Adam," she whispered, her heart tearing in two. "Loading doors, outside the cafeteria and laundry corridor, West block."

She carefully, slowly, lowered the phone and let it hang. Whoever was on the other end would hear what was happening, and Sakura crept close to the doors again.

More crashing.

"Open, open, open! Damnit!"

"Let me go, lemme go!"

Fire blazed through Sakura's veins as she took a deep breath—

"Kid, we just to get outside, and then someone wants to talk to you for a bit, that's all. Stop struggling!"

"No!"

A smack, and Hama cried out in pain.

—Sakura burst through the doors and lost it.

* * *

"_Where is she?"_

Sakura shrivelled in on herself at the sound of the furious woman's booming voice.

The police had taken her statement, Hama was back in his bed with a special referral attaché from the police, and Sakura was icing down her wrist and hand in a small examination room off the ER. It was quieter, now.

Well, it had been. She bit her lip. Now it sounded like someone was on the warpath, and looking for her.

Sakura swallowed a sigh.

The curtain in front of Sakura was ripped open to reveal a buxom blonde with eyes that promised rage and retribution.

Deep in her stomach, something curled up tight and died in fear.

"You! Are you Sakura Haruno!"

"Yes, ma'am," said Sakura, clutching her wrist and ice pack closer.

The woman's eyes blazed as she took a breath. "We need to talk."

"... yes, ma'am."

* * *

Biting her lip and doing her best not to sniffle too loudly, Sakura stared at the woman's desk as she ranted and paced the room in front of Sakura.

"... left your position… in no authority to search or service patients… failed to provide anyone notice of your destination… ran off with a patient's chart, which you're not even supposed to touch!... Barely gave the security guard enough description to find you again…"

Tears fell from Sakura's eyes. She had tried so hard in her position. Sure, it was volunteer, but she loved it. She loved the kids. She made a difference, she felt appreciated and knew the staff.

Pressing her lips together, Sakura's shoulders curled inwards, and her head fell lower.

She sniffed audibly.

"—you didn't even know if she was armed, or mentally present, or…"

The woman paused in her rant to look down at Sakura. Sakura, whose hair was loose and skewed, whose face was bruised, whose wrist was at a horrible angle and poorly wrapped..

"I'm sorry," said Sakura, in her quietest voice. "I'm so sorry."

The woman took another breath, before letting it out.

She crossed her arms under her ample bosom and stood in front of Sakura.

"I'm trying to make you aware of what you did wrong. And why you worried so many people today, Sakura."

She reached out and touched Sakura's chin with two fingers, and raised them to meet her amber eyes. Then she surprised Sakura by smiling at her.

"We worried about _you_. What you did today, Sakura, saved that little boy. But we don't want to lose you, either. You're one of our most reliable, responsible, utterly wonderful volunteers, and I've heard more than one nurse mention you with a glowing appraisal of your willingness to help, no matter what the circumstances."

"Hama."

"Hm?"

"It was Hama. She took Hama. He's so little, ma'am," Sakura took a breath, forcing her voice to steady. "He… He needed help. I couldn't let anything happen to him."

The woman's face softened. "You didn't. He's plenty safe now."

Sakura's nodded, her eyes filling. "That's good."

But Sakura's face fell once more. She bit her lip. "Um, am I able to say goodbye to him?"

The woman straightened, frowning. "Goodbye?"

"Well, you… you aren't happy with me. I'm assuming that means I'm," Sakura swallowed. "Not allowed back anymore. You have my bag and my locker contents here."

She angled her head over to the far corner of the office.

The woman looked at Sakura. Then burst out laughing.

"Those aren't for sending you off—those are to keep other people from peeking through your things! The police have been all over the ward, and they brought your things to me to prevent anyone planting evidence on them."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Why—"

The woman smirked at Sakura. "You have well-placed friends. They weren't surprised to hear you were the one who brought down not only the attempted kidnapper, but also her two accomplices."

Sakura blushed. "I'm really sorry about the wall. And the door."

The woman laughed again, and held out a hand to Sakura.

Sakura put her cold pack down in her lap before reaching back.

"Do you know who I am?" asked the woman.

Sakura shook her head.

"Doctor Tsunade Senju. I'm the director here at Konoha General."

Sakura's eyes bugged out of her head.

Dr Senju smirked.

"Sakura, I understand from the ward nurses that you're interested in a career in medicine?"

Mouth dry, Sakura nodded.

"Well, while you could definitely advance your career in bodyguarding, security, or pro-MMA," Dr Senju said, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, "I'd like to talk to you more about your career aspirations. We'll take your regular duties day-by-day, until you're healed up, but after that I want to sit down with you. Let's make a plan."

Sakura's heart had swollen and risked exploding in her chest.

Tsunade Senju. The Legendary Tsunade Senju. Wanted to help her reach her goal.

"Yes, ma'am," said Sakura, voice unsteady.

"What was that? That wasn't the voice of the girl who just took out three criminals and saved a critically ill little boy with her fists of fury." Tsunade leaned towards her, a hand at her ear.

Pressing her lips together to smother her giggle, Sakura held her head up high.

"Yes, ma'am! I… I would love to. Thank you. Thank you so much."

Tsunade smiled at her, and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her desk.

"So, tell me. Where did you learn to roundhouse kick like that. The guys in Security saw it on the cameras and apparently you now have some 250-pound fanboys who want you to teach them. Possibly a few of Konoha's finest, too." Tsunade's grin was knowing, and it made Sakura laugh.

"Um, at my friend Sasuke's dojo. His family, the Uchiha, run their own martial arts dojo. I learned with him, growing up."

"Sasuke Uchiha? Itachi Uchiha's little brother? The military police Uchihas?"

Sakura nodded, surprised.

"Hah! Those criminals are lucky you didn't knock their heads off! Hahahahahahahahhahaha!"

As Tsunade laughed, Sakura re-adjusted the ice pack on her wrist. The movement caught Tsunade's keen eyes.

"C'mere, child, let's take a look at you, now."

"It's probably just a—"

"Compound or torsion fracture, when they grabbed you and tried to twist your arm to get you away from Hama," said Tsunade. "Let's get you down to x-ray. It won't take more than a few minutes." Her eyes flicked to Sakura's. "Is there anyone you'd like to call? You're of age, so we haven't notified your parents. Is there a boyfriend or girlfriend you'd like us to reach out to?"

Sakura opened her mouth to reply, automatically, "Sasuke", before her breath caught.

"No," she said. "No one."

Tsunade nodded, watching her. "I've called ahead to Radiology. They're expecting us."

"Okay. Thank you, Dr Senju."

"Call me Tsunade, Sakura."

"Yes, ma—Tsunade."

"You did good today, Sakura," said Tsunade quietly, squeezing Sakura's shoulder as they left her office. "We're all proud of you."

In spite of all the fuss that day, Sakura felt her cheeks warm.

* * *

"Do you have a ride home?"

Sakura looked up at Tsunade. The woman was so tall, and so amazing, and so larger than life that Sakura felt dwarfed. Internally she still glowed from Tsunade's praise. Broken wrist and fractured ankle notwithstanding, Sakura felt amazing just basking in Tsunade's presence. She may qualify for fangirl status, she realized, and didn't care a whit.

It was several hours (and rounds of triage, x-ray and trauma-treatment later). Sakura had changed back into her street clothes, and the sun was starting to go down in the still-overcast, rainy sky.

"I take the bus, or ride my bike when it's nice. Since it was drizzling this morning, I left my bike at home today," said Sakura as Tsunade walked her to the main lobby of the hospital. There was a rumbling ahead of them, like a crowd, and Sakura saw Tsunade's eyes narrow.

"What's the big deal? Is someone famous here?" asked Sakura, peeking around Tsunade's shoulder.

Tsunade quirked a brow at Sakura. "Your crowd awaits you, princess."

"Why me—oh, no. No, no, no." Sakura backed up, lifting her arms—even the braced one hanging in a sling—and shook her head. "Nope. I have had enough of sniper reporters."

"They want to see their hero," said Tsunade, turning to face Sakura. Sakura noticed she kept an eye on the crowds beyond the door, all the while, never fully turning her back to them.

"Please, Tsunade. After this summer, I'd really rather just teleport home."

Sakura saw a strange expression cross Tsunade's face before the older woman stuck out her hip. "You can run down and conquer three criminals, single-handed, and being put in front of a TV camera or five makes you squeamish."

"It's more the following me home and harassing me at the bus-stop part," admitted Sakura. "This summer," she tried to speak, but found her voice choked. She tried again. "This summer, Sasuke and Itachi had to come find me while I was camping with my family after someone, a stalker, came after me. It got… complicated. Itachi was shot. He's still walking with a cane." _Because of me,_ thought Sakura, swallowing again.

Tsunade's face hardened.

"Why didn't I put it together," she muttered to herself, raising a hand to her temple. "I'm sorry. Sakura Haruno. Uchiha. I hadn't connected the incidents. Follow me. We'll sneak you out the back." She strode past Sakura and headed back the way they'd come, away from the crowds at the main lobby. "If it hasn't already reached them, I'll contact the Konoha PD and ask them to keep your name out of the press." She glanced at Sakura, apologetic. "If it has already gotten out, you may need to shoulder some of it. We'll arrange for transport and an escort to and from your volunteering for a week or two, until it dies down, though."

"I'll talk to Mikoto and Fugaku. They may have someone who can help," said Sakura. "Mikoto's really nice."

"Mikoto and Fugaku… Uchiha?" Tsunade's eyes widened and met Sakura's. "Well, if you have contacts that high up in the military police, by all means! I was just thinking of asking Shisui Uchiha. I understand the two of you are friends, from the children's ward. I guess with him being Uchiha, it explains why you're already acquainted."

Sakura nodded. "Shisui's always been unusually friendly, for an Uchiha."

Tsunade snorted. "Unusual, yes. But he's one of our best in pediatrics."

"I think he was also helping Itachi with his recovery and rehabilitation, this summer."

Tsunade looked straight ahead, but held a finger up for Sakura, asking for a moment of quiet as he lifted her phone up, punched in a number, and held it up.

"Yes… yes… And to you, too, but quiet, I need you to listen… you've heard?... Yes, it was… I do, actually. Would you like a half day with full pay?... I have a pretty special volunteer who needs a ride home… I didn't think you would. Meet me at my office in ten minutes… Good."

"You didn't need to, I could have walked to the next nearest stop—"

Tsunade gave Sakura a fishy eye. "You're practically family with the leader of the military police, you've saved a little boy from kidnapping single-handed, and you don't need more publicity. I think we can safely abscond with you to your home without sending you through the press gauntlet. Plus he's been pestering me for updates on your condition since he got wind you were involved," she said. "He's happy to help."

Sakura's anxiety deflated like a loose balloon.

"Thank you so much."

Tsunade patted her back. "We look after our own, you'll find."

* * *

When Shisui dropped Sakura off at home, he looked down at his phone and noticed the spastic flashing of the notification light.

With a sigh he tapped the message button, and pulled back into traffic.

"Impatient bugger," he muttered, and rolled his eyes at the same name popping up again a moment later.

Parking in the apartment building's guest lot, he collected his bag and walked to the elevator, familiar with the potted plants (real), plush carpet, and doorman (whom he greeted with a grin, "Hey Franko! How're the wife and kids?" "Excellent, Dr Uchiha. Thank you for asking!").

Finally he reached the doorway he wanted, but before he could knock it was near torn off its hinges and a haggard-looking Itachi glared at him, his face lined and pale.

"She's fine," said Shisui, swallowing his huff.

Itachi stared at him a moment, so he repeated himself.

Itachi nodded once, and slumped, Shisui catching him as they both grabbed for the doorway.

"Have you eaten today?" asked Shisui dubiously.

"I wasn't hungry."

Shisui rolled his eyes again. "You've been pacing without your cane, haven't you? And not eating." Shisui shook his head and kicked the door shut behind him, helping Itachi to the couch. "Sit. Rest. I'm going to order Chinese."

"I don't need a babysitter."

"Says the man who fell apart over—" Shisui bit his tongue, but Itachi's red-rimmed eyes had already whipped around to meet his.

He sighed.

"She's fine," he repeated. "I took her home. We had a chat in the car. Her friend Ino was waiting for her, and there were two plainclothes within spitting distance. I hope your family gives your employees good medical coverage, because those two poor bastards will be sick with pneumonia by the end of the night."

Itachi nodded, leaning back. "They do."

Shisui huffed and went to the drawer where he knew Itachi kept a folder of take-out menus.

"The usual?"

"Hn."

Shisui rolled his eyes again for good measure. Drama-queen.

"You know," he said, once he finished his order for take-out. He collected two glasses of water from the kitchen for them. "I don't know what you and Sasuke taught her, but you taught her well. She took out three grown adults, saved a little boy, and delivered him to Pediatrics and them to the ER single-handedly after strapping them to a gurney with their own belts."

Itachi was silent, refusing to look at Shisui.

"Tsunade likes her."

At that, Itachi did glance up. And smirked. "She would."

Shisui felt a small shiver run down his back. "Gods, they'll be terrifying when they rule together."

Itachi smiled. _Yes. When, not if._

* * *

Ino and Sakura stayed up late that night, chatting and making each other up in make-up in the living room on one of Sakura's couches. The TV was on behind them, though they weren't really watching anything. It was nice for background noise, though. Sakura found it comforting, now that she lived entirely on her own. Her parents had confirmed recently they weren't returning to Konoha for at least a year, with Sakura's mom accepting a position in another city, and Sakura's father joining her there and finding work himself.

"See, the swelling will go down on this by Monday, but if it is still discoloured," said Ino, applying a light coat of concealer foundation on the unblemished side of Sakura's face, "you can gently dab some of this on. It's opaque and covers really well and will blend the bruise away. With you being so pale, I brought you Porcelain. It'll totally make you normal-ish. Then we can just dab a bit of mascara on, and keep some extra eye drops on to keep your eyes clear, and voila!"

"I don't see any difference."

"That's the point. I'm not trying to make you up for club-night. I'm making you up to hide your bruises so you don't have people staring at you. Again."

Sakura quirked her lips up in a smile. She reached out and pulled Ino down into a hug. "Thank you, Pig."

"Oh my god, don't squish my boobs, they're my second favourite body part!"

Sakura burst out laughing, and Ino winked at her with a saucy smile.

"Your first being?"

"My impressive… brain, of course! Duh!"

Sakura raised her glass. "To your many, many talents… and impressive brain."

Clinking her glass, Ino smiled widely at Sakura. "Glad we agree on that."

They laughed again, until Sakura heard her phone ring. "Be right back."

"Okay!"

She scrambled to her coat and grabbed her phone on the fourth ring, just missing it.

Frowning, she flipped to the Recent Calls screen, only to see 'Caller ID Blocked' flash beside an unlisted number.

"Your phone's contagious. Mine's ringing now," called Ino from the couch. "Hello, Ino's Whip and Chain Emporium, how can I serve your every need, on your knees?"

Sakura clapped a hand over her throat as Ino winked at her over the back of the couch. Until Ino stilled, and straightened, looking at Sakura seriously.

"Hold on, just a sec," said Ino into her phone. She looked up at Sakura and glanced at the back of the apartment. "Can I take this in your room?"

"Sure," said Sakura. "No snooping."

"Thanks," said Ino, hopping up and scurrying down the hall. She turned on Sakura's light and disappeared into her room, closing the door behind her.

"Yeah, I'm here," Sakura heard her say. Then Ino put on Sakura's old stereo, and Sakura couldn't make out what she was saying.

_Well, that was odd_. Sakura looked down at her phone, and back at the door to her room, where Ino was hiding. Hmph.

* * *

"You sound like shit," said Ino, leaning on Sakura's headboard.

"Not up for it tonight, Ino," he said, and she could tell his face was partially covered. Probably by his long hand, she guessed. His voice was tense and exhausted, and Ino could hear the TV behind him, catching words like 'hostage', 'kidnapping attempt', 'Konoha General hospital', 'pediatrics ward' and 'young volunteer'. "I can't find Shisui's number. What happened? It was Sakura, wasn't it?"

"Yes," said Ino. "But she's mostly okay."

"Define mostly," Sasuke demanded.

"She's a bit banged up. Broke part of her wrist, her ankle's badly twisted, sprained. Her face is… bruised. Kinda swollen. But she's okay."

Sasuke's breathing turned harsh, and Ino heard something bang loudly from his side of the call.

"You okay over there?" She asked, too casually.

"Fine," he snapped. Then took a good, deep breath. "Fine," he repeated, more calmly. His tone was almost apologetic. For him.

"You're staying with her tonight?" he asked after a minute of silence.

"You bet yer pretty arse I am."

Sasuke huffed, but Ino could hear the difference in his breathing. "Don't call me pretty," he said, amusement tingeing the words. There was a faint snicker in there, and Ino smiled.

"She is trying to avoid the press. That's why there's no news on her or interviews from her. She's trying to lay low," said Ino. "She didn't disappear. Shisui gave her a ride home. Tsunade's suggested Sakura find a driver for the next two weeks or so, until the press calm down."

"I'll talk to Mom," said Sasuke.

Knowing why else he was calling, Ino looked down at her phone, flicking to the camera… then flicking it off again.

"I'm not sure if I can get a picture of her as she is right now. Also… while she's fine, you may… it'll upset you," she finally settled on.

"That bad?"

"Not her hottest moment. But if the security footage I've seen on the news is anything to go by, she's far better than the three she took on." Ino chuckled darkly.

"That was a pretty perfect roundhouse, wasn't it?"

"Don't sound so smug."

"Proud, not smug. That hip-pivot is Uchiha-style, and she nailed it. Before she sent that one guy spinning into the door. The window cracked from the impact."

"You sound impressed."

"She needed a lot of torque to pull that off," said Sasuke. "I just… I hadn't realized she was strong enough to do that. She's not petite, exactly, but she has a slight frame."

"She's regularly attending martial arts club. I think I told you about that, earlier. Anyway, her group sensei is Kisame. Apparently he's one of the tougher sensei, but she's still going. I think it's a point of pride with her that she can still stand at the end of practice."

"Kisame knows his stuff," admitted Sasuke. "He's ex-military. Fairly high up. He's run some pretty scary missions. Been one of the only surviving ones, on a few of them."

"You're shitting me," Ino said.

"Hn," said Sasuke, to the negative. "He's the one who made it through suicide missions. One of the most successful military personnel in Konoha and Mist history. He was mercenary for a while, when he got stranded and was assumed dead. Itachi was part of a team who didn't believe he'd died, though, and went looking for him."

"Itachi did?!"

"Yes. Years ago. He's part of the Reserves. It was part of the deal he made with our parents, I think. He has a military rank."

"Holy shit."

"Hn."

"Does that mean he knows how to shoot a gun?"

Sasuke sighed. "How's she doing?"

"She's awesome. Seriously, does Itachi have a gun?"

"Where are you? Why is the music so loud?"

Ino played with the stereo remote. She'd upped the volume after starting her conversation with Sasuke.

"I'm at Sakura's."

"How come she didn't answer when I called earlier? I blocked my number."

Ino's face softened. "She didn't ignore you on purpose. Her phone was put away and she didn't reach it in time."

"Hn."

"Do you want to talk to her?"

Sasuke was silent, and Ino waited.

"Will she talk to me?"

"I can ask."

Ino waited again, not pushing him.

"If she's there."

Ino smiled. "Let me check. Stay with me," she said, hopping up from Sakura's bed, and turning the stereo off.

She turned down the hall and headed back to the couch, finding Sakura dozing lightly, TV still glowing, though quieter.

Ino bit her lip.

"She's sleeping," she whispered into the phone.

"No 'm not," mumbled Sakura.

"You up for a call from a concerned citizen?"

"If it's the press, no comment."

Ino smiled. "Definitely not the press."

Sakura lifted a hand, her non-injured one. Ino passed her the phone.

"H'lo? Sakura speaking," she said, straightening up on the couch as Ino plopped down beside her.

"... hey, how're you feeling?"

Sakura shot straight up, eyes wide, and looked at Ino.

"Imma just gonna go sit… in… uh… the kitchen," mumbled Ino, as Sakura's eyes clouded over. She just passed over Sakura's flailing kick before leaping over the coffee table.

"I'm… Well, I've been better," Sakura said, still bewildered. "But I'm… good."

Feeling somewhat stunned, she automatically asked, "How are you?"

Sasuke huffed. "You take out three kidnappers and ask how I'm doing?" She heard him chuckle. "Joined the ranks of the elite, have you?"

Sakura shook herself.

"No. No, I just… I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to say, or what's been released, but..." Like Sasuke would tell anyone anything confidential, she realised. "It was a kid. They tried to take a kid. I reported it, then I just ran after them. I thought it was just one person. Then, when we got to the doors, there were two more, waiting right outside. They broke through and tried to help the first one, and poor Hama was so distraught, and I just… Anyway, Tsunade—Dr Tsunade Senju, the hospital director—doesn't think that there'll be any charges against me. She said that they'd keep my volunteer position open for me, too. Oh! And she wants to talk to me about my career aspirations!"

"Dr Senju did?"

"Yes!" Sakura beamed, her smile widening as she remembered her time with Tsunade. "She really tore into me for taking on three people, which, okay, wasn't my smartest move. But she said she was upset because she valued me and didn't want me to throw myself or my goals away, and that she had heard I was aiming for a career in the medical field, and she stayed with me through my x-ray and stuff, and while I was waiting for my results she had a little press conference thing, I think, but then she came back to walk me out and made sure I got a ride home, and Sasuke it was…" Realising she was babbling, Sakura reeled herself in. "It was… well, the bad was bad, but the good was amazing."

There was silence on the other end for a moment, before Sakura heard Sasuke's reply.

"No more taking on criminal elements, Sakura," said Sasuke.

"I didn't… well, that was kind of… sort of unplanned."

"Ugh. Just… take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will. Well, I will once my arm heals. And my ankle. And Ino's showing me how to camouflage my facial bruising with make-up and… You know what, just… don't look too hard at any of that grainy security footage, okay? It's not very flattering."

"... I d'know, that roundhouse was damn near perfect. Dad'll be watching it on repeat and gloating tomorrow at the station."

She heard the smirk in his voice, and smiled.

"That was a good swing, huh?"

He chuckled, and Sakura felt warm inside.

On the other end of the line, so did Sasuke.

* * *

**To be continued.**

AN: Treats for you: two updates this month! Happy birthday to me, and happy reading for you. I hope you're enjoying the story, lovely readers.


	6. Omake 1 - Anko

Omake 1 - Anko

The following day, at the Uchiha training facility for military police.

"I am sure you are all aware of yesterday's events at Konoha General Hospital?"

The room of trainees nodded at their trainer.

"Excellent. Is this video footage familiar?"

Some nodded, while others shook their head.

"This young woman is your new Ideal. You will review this recording until you have mastered this kick like she has."

"Uh, sir?"

"Yes?" said Anko.

"Is this woman a new trainee? Or a graduate?"

"In the Uchiha style, she is. Now," she said, holding out an oversize garment bag. "You will all wear these candy-striper hospital volunteer uniforms—including the skirts—and show me you're at least half the beast this young woman is!"

"Sir?"

"Move it, you amateurs!"

* * *

**AN: Dedicated to my wonderful beta, pokesimmo! Happy birthday! *a round of applause, please!***


	7. Omake 2 - Fugaku

**Omake 2 - Fugaku**

"Fugaku?"

"Hn?"

In the darkness of their bedroom several days post-incident, Mikoto smacked her husband and his glowing tablet away. "I know you're impressed, but if you don't shut that off in the next two seconds, you will never recover."

His eyes were transfixed on the grainy security footage, however. He was so proud of her! "But the arc, the angle, the—_understood,_" he said, his voice slightly higher.

"Good," she murmured, releasing his privates. 

* * *

**AN: We return next update to our regularly scheduled chapters.**

**AN2: XD (Happy birthday again, pokesimmo!)**


	8. Chapter 8

"They'll understand if you need a day. You won't be able to do all the contact training," said Ino as she walked with Sakura to the dojo studio where the MA club met.

The real struggle had begun when they had debated whether or not Sakura should attend with her bruise-camouflaging make-up, or without.

"It'll sweat off," said Sakura.

"Trust me, this make-up fixer would keep the weepiest mother-of-the-bride crystal-clear on a monsoon wedding," promised Ino, trying to get close enough to spray Sakura's face. "Resistance is futile, Forehead."

"Did you seriously just make a Star Trek reference? To me?"

"Did it get through to you? Would you put your arms down, I'm trying to help you!"

"Ugh, it's okay. I'll put the make-up on as soon as we finish. No one will be looking at me."

Ino stared at Sakura.

At her arm (still in cast), and her ankle (still tightly wrapped).

A manicured blond eyebrow spiked.

Sakura frowned as heat rose up the back of her neck. "I'll stand at the back."

Ino handed her a make-up wipe. "I'll be waiting in the locker room and we'll make sure you're presentable again. Just in case any of the media area hanging around."

Sakura smiled at Ino as she wiped her face clean, wincing when she occasionally rubbed a bit too roughly on a discoloured bruise. "Thanks."

"Like Hell my BFF is getting news-banged when she isn't 100% in command," sniffed Ino. "Now, go and do me proud."

Nodding and giving Ino a quick hug with her good arm, Sakura smiled at her best friend.

Sakura saw the clock on the hallway wall and hurried as fast as she could hobble-hop to the dojo, bowing as she entered and turning in the direction Kisame's section usually occupied. "I apologize for being late, Kisame-sensei."

Around her the entire room went quiet.

* * *

At the front of the room, all the senseis sat, waiting and watching her.

All the senseis.

From his spot on his aching knees, Itachi held his head up, aloof. He saw Sakura pale and glance around, her hand reach behind her to the door once more—

—then she steeled herself, straightening her back and walked forward to the middle of the room.

The rest of the students stood at attention along the walls, facing in, watching her as she approached.

She came to stand in front of Itachi and Kisame, the two top-ranked senseis; bowed. She remained bowing, her head low, her ponytail sweeping over her shoulder, as she waited for them.

She expected to be disciplined.

Itachi almost smirked.

"Haruno!"

"Hai, Sensei Kisame!"

"You're late!"

"Hai, Sensei Kisame!"

"You're slow!"

"Hai, Sensei Kisame!"

"You look like shit!"

She grit her teeth at that, and Itachi glanced at Kisame out of the corner of his eye. Itachi almost sighed when he saw the glint of amusement in Kisame's eye.

"...Hai, Sensei Kisame," she ground out, her good hand tightening and curling at her side while there was a shift within her sling.

"Haruno!"

"Yes, Sensei?"

"Stand and face your sensei."

She did. Her mouth fell open as her sensei, as one, stood to face her in return.

"Haruno!"

"Yes, Sensei?"

As one, her sensei bowed to her.

Behind her she heard shuffling, and even as her sensei rose to face her once more, Kisame stepped forward, took her shoulder and spun her around, keeping an arm at her back.

"Rei!" He gripped her shoulder, keeping her from bowing.

Before her, the students, whether of higher or lower rank, as one, bowed to her.

She started to hyperventilate.

Kisame held her shoulder, gave it a quick squeeze, and she heard Itachi call out from behind her one last time.

"Rei!"

All bowed to her.

"This evening's practice will be dedicated to Miss Sakura Haruno." Itachi's low, soothing voice called the room to order. "I expect everyone to put in their best effort to show her she is part of a club that is worthy of someone as brave, strong, and capable as she is." His dark eyes scanned the room and met those of everyone there.

When they rested upon her, her heart beat a wicked tattoo against her ribcage, holding it there, before something behind them shifted and he moved on once more.

"Tonight, Sakura Haruno joins her sensei, in honour of her determination, skill, and excellency in the true spirit of martial arts: that of protecting those most vulnerable.

"All of you, know this: The courage it took Miss Haruno to not only search for, but to face three opponents, unassisted, while still protecting someone else, is a rare quality, and prized by the highest ranking political, military, and judicial leaders of Konoha."

Sakura's arms and knees began trembling as she heard footsteps—booted, marching footsteps—file into the room behind her.

"If you faint, you'll lose your street cred," Kisame murmured, just low enough to reach Sakura's ears.

"Make sure I land on my good side, I don't want to break any stitches," she breathed, her voice high and thready.

Through the hand he kept on her shoulder, Sakura felt the rumbles of Kisame's smothered laugh.

"Sakura Haruno!"

She swallowed and turned to look behind her,

A line of military personnel, Uchiha military police, several politicians she recognized from the federal, prefectural, and municipal level, and…

Tsunade and Shisui winked at her.

… faced her, faces stern but proud.

"Rei!" called Itachi, one last time.

All bowed to her.

When they stood, she felt Itachi approach and stand at her other side. He did not reach out to her, or touch her, or look at her. But it was him and she knew it was the closest she'd been to him since their brush at _Akatsuki_. Her heart raced and she felt her emotions jumbling inside her with anticipation and anxiety.

"Three cheers for Haruno!"

"Banzai! Banzai! Banzai!" The cheer rose strong and loud in response to Kisame's bellow. Then burst into wild applause.

A squeeze on her shoulder and she glanced up at her grinning, hulking sensei.

"Get ready to shake a lot of hands," he murmured, barely moving his lips.

It took some time before she had shaken everyone's hand, bowed in return in respect, and taken her seat between Kisame and Itachi at the front of the room, but the practice that followed was one of the most challenging and mentally exerting she'd ever witnessed.

Towards the end, she felt Kisame shifting slightly and glancing over her head again. Shift, flicker. Shift, shift. Low grumble.

With a sigh, Itachi gave a small shake of his head and rose. "Shisui's going to be angry."

"You know you want to," Kisame murmured back, giddy.

Sakura's brow pulled together as she glanced at the two men rising together.

Then a great whoop went up from some of her sempai, the senior students, and they cleared the floor. Kisame and Itachi went to the middle, and faced each other. Excited murmuring and more cheering rose, louder and louder as whoops and hollering and stomping and clapping rose to a clamour.

"Be very honoured," Konan said quietly as she shifted to Sakura's side, kneeling in a perfect seiza. "This isn't something we get to see very often anymore."

"They're going to spar?" Sakura asked, keeping her voice low. She probably needn't have worried, going by the carrying on of the crowd, but it wouldn't be seemly for her to join in when she was with the sensei ranks that evening.

Konan nodded, looking forward. "To honour your skills, shown in battle, they will give a demonstration."

"A card would have been more than enough," said Sakura, worrying her lip. She'd seen the hesitation in Itachi's step as he rose and before he moved. Behind her she knew he'd stowed his cane likely in the sensei office, just off the studio.

Konan was quiet a moment. "You understand that that would never have been enough, and that they would have been shamed to have resorted to so little consideration. And while Itachi is not at full strength, he is neither weak nor incapable. Remember his roots. He is clan heir to the Uchiha; he is a Master of their art. He has a more obvious weakness, but even greater strength, perhaps, because of it as he knows where Kisame is likely to strike him."

Sakura nodded. "Thank you."

Konan nodded in return, her eyes never leaving the pair of sensei in front of them.

"The first to a point, or best out of three?" asked Itachi, raising an arm to silence the room.

"Best out of three. I'd beat you too quickly otherwise," said Kisame, grinning madly.

The crowd let out a whoop and jeer, equal parties rooting for Kisame and Itachi. Even the visiting dignitaries joined in, and Sakura was sure she saw more than one handshake take place.

Suddenly, it became clear to Sakura. Konan had a point. She shouldn't baby Itachi because of his injury. She should take pride in the fact that he thought highly enough of her to come out to practice on a weeknight, the first time since the beginning of term, to celebrate her accomplishments. He did this to show respect to her. And Konan was right; Itachi wasn't exactly a pushover or weak. He…

In front of her, his back was straight and tall, his hair tied back into a high ponytail, his composure complete and his focus centered. Instead of his traditional karate gi pants, he wore pleated hakama. She wondered if it was to hide the movement and weakness of his injured side. His feet swept the hardwood soundlessly, nary a whisper to be heard. And in his inky eyes, she saw a flicker, a flash of something determined. And predatory.

He was looking forward to this fight, she realized.

Instead of being worried, Sakura understood she should enjoy this as she was meant to.

"Care to make a wager?" A bleach-blond head—Hidan she recalled—leaned closer to her.

Sakura shook her head, though she grinned a bit. "No. There's no contest."

To her side, she caught the hint of Konan's smile.

The room went silent as Itachi and Kisame faced off.

"_Hajime!"_

* * *

A small smile pulled at Sasuke's lips as he reviewed the spreadsheet for errors. It had unnerved many of his colleagues that day, forcing them to give him a wide berth. Not that that bothered Sasuke. He was happy to work on his own, undisturbed. His current level of satisfaction and drive were, he could admit, perhaps marginally affected by his talk with Sakura. Two nights ago was the first time they'd spoken since he'd left, in August. It had been… not quite cathartic, but… He breathed deeply in and out. Definitely mentally healthier for him, he decided. The encroaching sense of claustrophobia had retreated to comfortable levels once more, and he'd made a point of contacting his mother before she'd contacted him, for once, on Sunday. It had made her day, by the sounds of it.

Data integrity was his role that morning, and he was just attentive enough to get through it without falling asleep. Better, he'd made a number of corrections and could see the match to the model more clearly, which meant it would look better when he presented it to his manager, later. Mentally he noted he would speak with the project lead later, to find out where the odd numbers had come from. They didn't match the raw data, so he wanted to know why they'd found their way into the spreadsheet.

He was preparing to e-mail the finished product when he heard raised voices from one of the nearby offices.

Scanning the area, he noticed his colleagues were all gone.

He missed lunch again. And this time it had been a surprise, company-sponsored lunch. He thought he'd been alone in the department. He knew it wouldn't look good that he wasn't attending, but oh well. He'd be finished this damn report soon enough, and then he could grab something towards the end if he got hungry.

But the voices were angrier and angrier, distracting him. With a frown and with a quick save, he locked his computer and went to get a glass of water from the break room.

"... could have been disastrous! What if they talk?"

"...won't talk if they know what's good for them. We'll have another chance, a new plan, by day's end…"

"... too high profile… too risky…"

"... hadn't expected the resistance…"

"... thwarted by a teenage girl with pink hair? That was too much?..."

Sasuke froze, until ice cold water spilled over his fingers and he hastily shut off the water.

"... better come up with a better solution to get this through for the season… lot of money invested in this project…"

"... by the end of the week, we'll have a guaranteed way—"

"... by the end of tomorrow or you're fired!"

Sasuke barely had time to casually sweep around the cubicle back to his desk before he heard the door slam open and bounce off the wall.

His head was focused down at his re-animated screen as he sipped his water when the pair of men storm past, ignoring him. He caught sight of them out of the corner of his eye, but didn't turn to look at them. He'd seen them around the office, but wasn't sure what their official titles or roles were. While they wore suits and polished leather shoes, their heavily calloused hands and the scars along their wrists and thick necks implied another profession altogether.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn—yes?" He looked up to meet the white blond head of Kabuto, always calm, always placid.

"How are you doing? We haven't seen each other much since you started. Are you settling in well?" His hands in his trouser pockets, Kabuto smiled at Sasuke. "How come you're wasting time here instead of enjoying your lunch?"

"I've been working on this data integrity; I prefer to focus and get it done in one go, rather than spread it out," said Sasuke. "I have been going out with the others for lunches, though, until today. This is a priority."

Kabuto smiled wider. "We're lucky to have such a dedicated employee." He nodded at Sasuke, and offered him a handkerchief. "Looks like you have a small spill."

"Thank you," said Sasuke, and wiped up the sweating glass that left a small puddle on his desk. "I hadn't noticed."

"Too caught up in what's going on," chuckled Kabuto, accepting it back from him. "Remember to take breaks once in a while. You don't want to burn out."

"Thank you," said Sasuke, nodding to Kabuto as the man walked away with a wave.

He waited a good hour or so before texting Karin, inviting her and her teammates out for supper. _Too many coincidences,_ he thought to himself, anxiety and suspicion unfurling and digging their claws into his veins. _Far too many._

It was time to listen to more office gossip.

* * *

"Think you're up for babysitting?"

Itachi's eyebrow rose as he leaned back in his chair. "When?"

"Halloween. The two oldest want to split up and go to a house party half way across the city, and the younger two want to go trick-or-treating; but the youngest is coming down with a cold, so we may need to have one at home, one out trick-or-treating, two out partying, while someone gives out candy, because like Hell am I letting emo bastard teenagers steal all the candy if we were to leave it on the front porch!—" Kisame's fist slammed down on the corner of Itachi's desk, "—Ever. Again!"

Itachi's nodded once, completely unruffled. "I may be working for Pein and Konan that night, at _Akatsuki_. They asked me to keep myself available for call-in. I will need to be there by nine thirty or ten, if so. Will you be back in time?"

"Yes."

"Then it should not be a problem. How are they doing? Started off school okay?"

"Well enough," muttered Kisame. Itachi raised an eyebrow, and Kisame rolled his eyes. "I'm finding things on the computer that would upset the missus, and I know I didn't put them there. I think one of the kids is growing up faster than I'd thought. Mostly harmless, but it means I'm having to check the computer more often. Which reminds me, the kids are asking for 'the pink lady' to come by sometime. Apparently they thought she was the bees' knees on their holiday this summer."

Itachi blinked at Kisame, before shaking his head.

"You don't have to be there."

"That might be best… at least for now."

Kisame sighed, and Itachi considered before offering, "However, I can ask my mother to contact your better half, and I'm sure they can work something out with her."

"As long as 'her'," Kisame looked at Itachi with a fishy gaze, "is comfortable with that. She seemed chipper enough about the suggestion when she signed up for the MA club in September."

"She will be. She has always been a natural with kids. For a long time she volunteered with the children's ward at the hospital. That's how she and Shisui met. Sasuke used to wait for her after her shifts," said Itachi, glancing at his window. "I took her home from the hospital several times, when Sasuke had a weekend game or practice and couldn't make it. She always enjoyed her time there."

"Is she still there? Volunteering?" Kisame asked, watching Itachi. "After what happened."

"I have not spoken to her in a non-professional capacity since August," said Itachi, still looking outside.

Remembering how Sakura had quietly slipped into his own newbie team at the Martial Arts club in September, and how she had neatly avoided all contact with Itachi when they had sparred or organized fundraising meetings, Kisame nodded once in understanding.

"I'll have my wife call your mother; heck, half the time it seems like the womenfolk are telepathically linked anyway," grumbled Kisame, leaning back in his seat.

"Glad they're on our side working in our best interests?" asked Itachi as he looked at Kisame once more, his lips threatening to quirk up in amusement.

"When you have proof that they're actually doing so, please do share," said Kisame.

* * *

Sasuke sat on his couch, turning his personal cell phone over in his hands. He forced his breathing to become even, and closed his eyes.

He didn't know who'd been speaking. He didn't know for sure they'd been speaking about Sakura. He only had rumours and gossip from work to connect Karin's department to a 'significant logistical failure' that occurred in Konoha—on the same day as the attempted kidnapping—that has jeopardized the launch of their product in Konoha. Or, rather, thought Sasuke grimly, the accelerated clearance granted to them to allow their product to launch there.

And, he took another deep breath, centered himself again. More than anything, he wanted to reach out to Sakura again. Just those few words, that short conversation, had made him feel so grounded again. Yes, they had to suck it up and talk things out, fine, he'd been perhaps a bit rash and acting without enough information when he walked out and left her in August. And she had to answer his questions, too. Fair was fair. But what he wouldn't give to reach out to her, right now.

But she was finding her own way, and he had to find his own way, and he didn't want to risk alienating her or treating her suspiciously if he called to interrogate her about the kidnapping. She'd probably had more than enough of that.

Blowing out hard, he straightened and put the phone down.

What he could do was make a plan, gather evidence—carefully, discreetly—and then re-evaluate.

Then make some calls.

Glancing up at the photo of Sakura on his laptop's wallpaper, he promised himself he'd reach out to her when he had more to go on. He would protect her.

No matter where they were.

Ugh. There was so much going on, he could barely keep the days straight.

* * *

Sakura smiled at Naruto as she shoved a small present at him.

"Happy Birthday!"

"Whu—but—I thought it was…" His blue eyes went wide as he saw everyone smile back at him upon his entrance to the small restaurant.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto!" The group gathered around him at Naruto's favourite ramen shop. Cheers and congratulations rang out, and soon everyone was thumping their favourite hooligan-with-a-heart-of-gold on the back and offering hugs (and a round of ramen for the birthday boy).

"You okay?" Sakura asked a bit later, nudging Naruto with her shoulder as he sat, not speaking, just taking everything in.

"Yeah, just… Kinda wish Sasuke could have made it back," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "But this is amazing. I had no idea!"

Sakura's smile faltered slightly, before she pasted it on brighter, if a little faker, than before. "I'm sure he'll call you later. Or e-mail you or something." She bumped him again. "You know Sasuke. He doesn't do demonstrative."

"Only with you. And only when he's being possessive." Naruto waggled his eyebrows at her, making Sakura laugh.

"He won't forget, Naruto. He cares about you."

"Yeah. He's probably still at work. That's all."

"He's proud of you for working so hard. I can tell you that much." She tapped her glass against his in toast.

"You two talked? You talked about me?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not exactly. But as much as he tries to hide it, you're one of his important people. He would never push you away."

"Yeah he would. He's always pushing me away! The bastard!"

"I mean hurtfully."

Naruto opened his mouth to protect, then shut it again, looking at Sakura as she drank her water. "Really?"

She nodded. "If he ever gets nasty with you for something you _haven't _done to annoy him, tell me. I'll take it up with him. Ex or not, I won't let him get away with that kind of disrespect. You're my friend. One of my best friends." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye before turning towards him. "And his." Her voice softened. "I still care for him, but you're important , too. Tell me though, okay? If he really does something like that, it means there's something pretty wrong."

"It's Sasuke. There's always something wrong. Usually with whatever is stuck up his butt," quipped Naruto.

Nearly spitting her water out over the counter, Sakura choked and burst out laughing.

* * *

"As so many of you have taken up Itachi and me on our office hours with requests for mid-term help, we're instituting a schedule for appointments. Also, you'll need to send us your questions in advance. We're noting a lot of overlap and repeat questions, and this will help us prepare a mid-term review session for you," said Sakura's Communications professor. "I know this may disappoint some of you, but I think it is important to respect everyone's time and availability. Especially Itachi's," she smirked at the class's downcast faces.

"In the meantime, we have prepared a sample midterm examination for you, and it is available for download from the class website. Please make sure you check the correct section before you do it. There are small changes, from class to class."

Sakura made a quick note in her planner to look it up, and packed her books into her bag when the professor dismissed them.

"So, you signing up?"

She rolled her eyes at Ino. "I think we have this one covered, Ino."

"But we could be extra prepared," insisted Ino, pulling her hair out of the way of her backpack as she slid the strap over her shoulder.

"I think we'd be better off reviewing our Chem and Physics. We've done really well with this class, you've nailed Crim, and I have Econ wrapped up," said Sakura as they followed the herd of students up the stairs and outside the auditorium. "Want to go check the Science Student Office to see if they have any old mid-terms on file? Sometimes we're able to review them."

Ino goggled at Sakura. "Are you serious?"

"Yep. I heard a couple of sempai mention it at practice the other night. It pays to hang out with Engineers," she said.

"You know, you're making a pretty solid case for MA club for next term," said Ino, pouting.

Sakura winked at her, and they headed outside. "Oh, could you give me a second? I need to…" Damnit. She needed to stop at her locker, but she didn't want Ino there. "Stop off down here. There's a library drop-off box in the lower foyer."

"Sure. Do you want me to do it? You can rest your leg," offered Ino.

"No, it's okay. It'll only take a sec. You check your messages, I'll be right back."

"Text me if you need a hand, okay? Those books will break your back one of these days," said Ino, heading over to a bench. Her eyes remained on Sakura, though, and she waved.

"Promise. Be right back!"

Grateful nonetheless for the elevator she rode downstairs on, Sakura shifted her backpack to her other shoulder, wincing when it caught on her sling.

"Do you need a hand?" Another student, possibly graduate level by his age and relaxed appearance, asked. His earring glinted at her, and he untucked his hands from his jean pockets, straightening when he saw her.

"Oh, no, sorry, it's just a bit tangled. Thank you, though."

"Anytime," said the dark haired stranger. His hair was long, and wilder than Itachi's, but stuck up a bit, like Sasuke's tended to.

Sakura looked at him more clearly through her bangs, and opened her mouth before shutting it again.

The door dinged, and the elevator doors opened.

He met her gaze and raised his eyebrows. "Sorry," said Sakura, blushing. "You seemed very familiar for a second. Have we met before? Are you related to the Uchihas?"

He smiled at her more widely. Then pushed the button to hold the doors open for her. Sakura hurried out, but turned back to him for his answer.

"Related, yes."

"Ah, thanks. Well, nice meeting you!"

"You, too. See you around," he said.

The doors closed on them once more, and Sakura hurried to her locker. "That clan has more members than a YMCA," she mumbled to herself. Crazy genetics, too. He could have been a direct relative of Sasuke or Itachi's.

She opened her locker and another thick brown envelope fell down, making her sigh. She shoved it to the bottom of her locker and forgot about it.

"No time right now," she grumbled, putting away her Communications text and instead picking up her Chem and Physics notes. "Right, closing up."

As she locked the door, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and sighed. "Almost there, Ino."

She took the elevator back up and found Ino playing a game on her phone.

"Ready."

"What took you? Meet a hottie?" asked Ino, her eyes bright.

"Funny. I think I did meet some relative of Sasuke's, though. He was a dead ringer for an Uchiha. In the elevator."

"And you didn't get his number?!"

Sakura sighed. "I've had enough of Uchihas for now, Ino. Let's find the Science Student Office."

* * *

"Saw your name in the paper again today," said Shisui. He and Itachi, Itachi wearing shorts, were seated on Itachi's couch at his apartment, papers cleared away, examination well underway. He leaned over Itachi's leg, poking and prodding it, pestering Itachi with questions. It was evening and their take-out was on the way, and Itachi was listening to the radio through his computer. Shisui bent Itachi's knee—slowly—and forced him to rotate his foot and ankle, this way and that, then stand to show his balance. Shisui made a note on his phone and stood, moving in front of Itachi and resting his backside on the coffee table he'd pushed out of the way, and faced him.

Shisui flicked his hand up, and Itachi took a quiet breath.

"Anything to worry about?" Itachi asked, standing and catching his balance as smoothly as he could. His recovering leg lost confidence a moment before he straightened. He huffed mentally. This was taking longer to heal than expected.

"Stand on your good leg. Squat." Shisui watched Itachi's balance and in particular his knees, nodding. "Nothing to worry about, unless you count fangirls. And I'm including your faculty fans. You were quoted extensively by an Associated Press news source regarding that conflict over in the middle East. They may or may not have suggested you be nominated to a consultancy role in the peace negotiations they're haggling over. Said you were innovative, down to Earth, and possessed a refreshing sense of realistic achievement. Possibly something about your flowing hair and girly eyes, I d'know, it was quite sickening."

Itachi nodded. "I believe I know which conflict and article you're referring to— the article I authored," clarified Itachi. "It was for a conference this past spring. The organizers collected the papers from the contributors and recently published them. It was likely the story you read was merely an exercise in publicity for the publication."

"Both feet flat on the ground. Good. Hold them there for a second," Shisui nodded and made another note on his phone. "Well, whatever it was for, yours was touted as the strongest presentation within the collection. All right, time for the fun part! Stand on your other leg."

Itachi made his breathing deep and even.

A flash of instability had him re-adjusting his foot, and he wavered slightly before catching himself again.

Shisui smirked at him. Itachi ignored him.

"Now squat on this leg. Take your time," said Shisui airily.

Itachi's breath came out harshly as he glared at Shisui, and delicately bent his knee. He clenched his jaw as he felt the muscles tremble and shake in protest. His heart beat a half-beat faster as he re-adjusted his foot again. When another, stronger, tremble ran down his hamstring his arms automatically flew out to the side, and he heard Shisui's sharp intake of breath.

"Well," smiled the doctor, "I see we're still working on control and stability. Your knees are straight, though, which is a good sign your quadriceps and gluteal muscles haven't deteriorated too badly. We wouldn't want you to get a limp and ruin your dancing feet."

"You were the one who dragged me out to the Social Dance Club," said Itachi, setting both feet firmly on the ground again.

"Yes, and you were the belle of the ball at every session that term," chuckled Shisui, adding more notes to his phone. "Okay, we're done here. Seriously, the ladies were so upset you didn't return the next term."

"I had to pry them off me after each song," said Itachi, mentally cringing at some of the more forward enticements that had been whispered in his ear during his time with the Social Dance Club on campus.

"It helped you with your martial arts, though. Now you're the lightest one there on your feet! Or, you will be, once you finish up your physio. Still doing all your exercises?"

Itachi nodded, sitting down. "Every morning. And tai chi at night, to keep me limber."

Shisui added another note. "Easy on the tai chi."

Itachi ignored him; Shisui nearly rolled his eyes. "I mean it. If you pull it now, you'll just be adding more to your physio load and a longer recovery time thereafter."

"It is healed."

"Not this again," muttered Shisui, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "You're not invincible. No one is. Now, how have your headaches been recently?"

"Fine. No change."

"None at all? Not with all the stress, the different medications, expectations?"

Itachi's lack of response was interrupted by the intercom.

"I'll get it," said Shisui, already rising to his feet. "Just bring it up," he said into the intercom. He buzzed the delivery person in.

"Everything is normal," said Itachi.

The delivery person arrived and Shisui returned a moment later with the food.

"Eat. Eat meat, 'tachi, you need it."

"I see you've been in contact with my mother."

Shisui smirked. "Your mother could still run command if she really wanted. You know she's still in touch with some of her former colleagues." Shisui smirked wider. "She talks about you with them all the time."

Itachi let out a low, pained breath. "I'm aware."

"I thought so," said Shisui, lifting a portion of yakisoba noodles into his bowl. "I still remember the time you kicked out your commanding officer's teeth."

"Accidental. It was during training, sparring practice."

"Yeah. Accidentally sending him flying after he called you a momma's boy."

Itachi nodded. "That is what the inquiry determined."

"Your mother's reach is terrifying."

"It is," agreed Itachi, before biting into his sweet and sour chicken. He faltered after his first bite. "MSG."

"Oh, shit! Sorry, it's a new owner at that place. They said they didn't use it," said Shisui, dropping his food to the table and taking Itachi's from him. But Itachi held tight.

"It's alright. The intensity of the migraines has eased considerably in the past year," lied Itachi. He took another bite, chewing slowly.

"No, no, no. I'm not being called in front of the Uchiha Matriarch to explain how I poisoned her son's brain with MSG and put him in the ER for the night. No thank you. Put it down."

"Let go."

"Itachi, you don't need to deal with a black-out on top of everything else. You're Mr Super-Tough, I get it. Give me the MSG."

"No." He took another bite.

"Goddamnit!" Shisui's eyebrows rose to his hairline, and he ripped his hands in his hair to yank on it. "You're a masochist, you know that. I'm not taking any responsibility for this! I'm writing it down and I'm not taking any responsibility at all."

"Hn."

"Fuck you."

Itachi smirked at Shisui, and continued his meal.

What Shisui didn't know wouldn't hurt him; but it would definitely give Itachi pleasant dreams later, if it came to it.

It did. Blessed Mangekyou.**

* * *

"U-chi-chi-chiha! Homeboy!"

"I'm not your homeboy, Suigetsu."

"Sure you are!" Suigetsu leaned over the wall of Sasuke's cubicle and leered at him. "So, are the rumours true?"

"No."

Suigetsu leered even harder. "You don't even know what they are!"

"It doesn't matter."

Sasuke hadn't bothered to look at Suigetsu. Nothing good could come of this, whatever it was. Sui had cornered him while there were still other employees around them; Sasuke could only hope he would behave par for the course and curb his perversions while still at work.

"You Uchihas are famous, man!"

"Hn."

"Don't 'hn' me!" Shisui swung into Sasuke's cubicle and personal space. Sasuke tensed. "The Media and Communications department were talking about you and your family at lunch. They said your brother was some kind of military prodigy with a Jesus complex, and had saved you and your girlfriend from a crazy stalker this summer. They said you were there and were part of it, too! Spill, man! Also, pics of your girlfriend, and second also, you're like, the most horrible boyfriend on the planet, abandoning your cute girlfriend all alone like that."

"Hn."

"Dude, it's you. She had to be cute. No, scratch that, she was hot as sin, wasn't she? I bet she had huge ti—gckk!"

Sasuke calmed his breathing, blinking slowly several times before he dragged Sui down to face level by his throat. With deliberate care he turned in his seat to meet Suigetsu's widening eyes. He ignored the way Suigetsu's hands wrapped around his wrist to pry him off, tightening his hold instead. A fire rolled through his insides, an inferno, burning up any patience or tolerance he may have harboured for Suigetsu's disturbing rambling.

He took a breath and let it out through his teeth as he dug his nails into Suigetsu's neck. His voice was low, calm, and dangerous. "Do not speak of her. Ever. Like. That. Again."

Scrabbling harder against his hands, Suigetsu whined, trembling. "'Kay!" he choked, eyes wide.

Sasuke held him another moment longer before shoving Suigetsu away and turning back to his work.

"Do you need anything else?"

"No... no, just… Is it true? Your bro? The stalker?"

Sasuke considered a moment. "There… was an incident. Everything is fine now," he lied.

"Well… Glad you're okay, man. Anyway, I'll catch you later, U-chi-chi-chiha!"

"Hn."

Sasuke waited a few minutes before taking a look around the office floor; but no one was paying attention to him. He breathed out hard in relief, his heart calming at last.

Giving himself a mental shake, Sasuke tried to focus on his screen once more, but anxiety crept up and down his spine and skull like spiders searching for prey.

Yes, Itachi had been the one to get hurt. Yes, he was all those things and more.

_But I was there, too. I protected Sakura, too._

But of course Itachi did it better.

He did everything better.

With a huff, Sasuke pressed his lips together and got back to work. He was there to become a better man, a stronger one, a smarter one. He was going to be on top.

He was going to rise higher than his prodigal brother.

_Just watch me. _

* * *

**To be continued.**

**AN: Not sure what 'Mangekyou' Itachi is referencing? Make sure you read the one-shot story, "Forest Fire 1-point-5" in my profile.** HINT: This is a plot-relevant item.

AN2: I apologize I haven't been replying to everyone's comments; I've been focusing on writing (this and other stories), and don't set aside enough time to show my appreciation to you. I hope you enjoy the early update instead! See you next month! Also, can anyone recommend some good Madara x Sakura stories? I've been craving recently. Thank you!

\- May 9, 2015


	9. Chapter 9

Sakura was attached and it was wrong, and dangerous, and very bad for her and she refused to set the emotional distance she knew she should when it came to him.

"Sakura!" Hama's face lit up with a mega-watt smile, and her heart cracked as it failed to expand and contain the bubbling warmth inside her at his greeting.

"Hey Hero-Man, how're you doing?" She leaned down to give him a hug, mindful of the lines and paraphernalia surrounding him. "I see you have more fans than ever." She tilted her head to the pile of cards, balloons and toys piled on the table at the end of his bed.

"Yeah," he said, though his smile faded.

"What's up?" She asked, quietly looking around and scooting a bit closer. There was no one around, and his roommate was not there. Probably seeing a specialist.

He sucked his lower lip into his mouth, and tears filled his eyes.

"Oh Hama, honey, what's wrong?" Sakura pulled him closer again, and held him. "What's up?"

"I feel really bad. My family can get me toys if I need them, but Shui can't. His family can barely come visit him. He doesn't even get to see his mom every week." He bit his lip harder, and buried his face in her uniform, his little fists clenching in the material. "I feel really bad. I didn't do anything. Shui hasn't said anything, and I've offered him some of the toys, but he doesn't want them. He just wants his family. And I can't do that, and I hate that I can't do anything."

Sakura felt the wetness soak through her shirt and against her skin, and the young boy's body as it trembled against hers. She rubbed his back and smoothed his hair, and waited for him to calm a bit, shushing him with gentle sounds.

"Hama. You're his friend," she said. "If you're offering your toys, you're being generous. If you're listening to him when he talks to you about what's important to him, you're being generous. If you're being his friend and laughing with him and making him feel better, you're being generous." She continued to smooth his hair, rub his back, and cuddle him as he sniffed and sobbed. "You're very lucky your family comes to see you as much as they can. I know you make sure you include Shui, too. I hope you and Shui stay friends for a long time."

"Can you ask his family to come in to see him more often, Sakura?"

Sakura pressed her lips together.

"We'll see what we can do. I can't promise something like that, Hama," said Sakura gently, pulling back a bit to look Hama in the face. She gently squeezed his shoulders. "But leave that with me, okay? We don't want to get Shui's hopes up only to disappoint him, right?"

"Yeah. But I know you'll do your best. You try really hard," said Hama, using his sleeve to wipe his eyes.

Sakura smiled at him. "I do, don't I?"

"Yeah. And you kick high."

Sakura pressed her lips together to smother her smile. She winked at him. "Let's keep this between us for now, okay?"

"Okay. Hey, did you bring Tsuro with you again today?"

"I did! You have to wait until it's activity time, though. That way you'll all be able to play together, okay?"

"Awesome! I call the blue dragon!"

She bid him goodbye and checked in with a few more of the patients to say hi before making her way to the nurses' station on her break.

"Hey Sakura! Did you make it past the press?"

"Barely. My friend's mom drove me, though, so that was lucky. I have a quick question to ask you about Shui, though. Do you have a minute?"

"Shoot, I have another few minutes."

Sakura smiled at her gratefully. Then she leaned closer, and lowered her voice. "I was wondering about Shui's family. How come they can't make it to visit as often anymore?"

The nurse's gaze fell. "A bit of history, there. Now, the other volunteers don't know this, so please keep it to yourself," she said, glancing around and lowering her own voice. "We don't know the details, but they don't have the money anymore. From what we heard from Family and Children's Services—"

Sakura winced. The nurse gave her a sympathetic nod.

"—someone in their family ran into some trouble. Now both his parents are working full time, on top of having second jobs that take up their evenings and weekends. His older sibling is on his own almost all day, and sometimes the night, too. They just don't have the time to come visit, with having to work around the clock."

"Hama was saying Shui really misses them. He wondered if there was anything that could be done to help them," said Sakura, and the nurse's expression softened further as she shook her head.

"We can't get too involved once Family &amp; Children's Services are in the mix. We need to be very careful," she said. "I know you want to help, Sakura, but we may be stuck for this one."

"I wish we could do something for the kids, though. Shui isn't the only one who hasn't seen his family in a while. I know we have the Autumn Carnival, but something more, where each kid got some special attention..."

The nurse's eyes went wide as a hand rose to her mouth. "The Carnival!" she repeated.

"Ma'am?"

"The Carnival! Oh no, the entertainers called and left a message saying they couldn't make it. I asked someone to follow up with them, and I just realized I never heard back." She reached for the phone. "It completely slipped my mind, with the excitement and… oh no, oh dear…"

"I'm going to go back to the kids; I'll check in with you later," promised Sakura, and the nurse waved her off with a nod, already absorbed in her new focus.

The Autumn Carnival, cancelled?

Sakura's brow furrowed. The kids looked forward to it every year. With school starting up for their siblings, work intensifying with their parents in the lead-up to Christmas, and the patients staying longer and longer without visits from their families, The Autumn Carnival was something fun, just for them, that they clung to with their blind young faith that adults would fix everything wrong and make them right as they were confined to their hospital ward, undergoing treatments that while they understood would help them in the long run, simply made their day-to-day lives miserable. The Carnival had come to mean more to them than a simple play day; it was a day where they were the special ones, where their happiness was placed higher than their treatment, and where they got the opportunity to act like normal kids instead of patients.

By the end of her shift, Sakura's eyes shone with determination. After a quick check-in with the nurse at the station, Sakura met one of Shisui's cousins in the employee parking lot for her ride home. She had already pulled her phone out to text Naruto and Ino, and after a brief moment of hesitation, added Kisame's and one more number in the To field, too.

_Big favour, need your help_, she began.

* * *

That Saturday, Sakura woke up early and rushed to the hospital before the sun had risen, her heart beating hard in anticipation.

When she arrived, she was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by an excited crowd.

"Come on up! We have another two hours before the kids wake up, so we need to be quick and quiet," she ordered, herding everyone to the elevators.

"Teams Beta through Echo arrive in staggered stages on the hour over the next 4 hours," said Kisame as he followed her into the cabin.

"I owe you one, Sensei," she said.

He gave her a grin and a wink. "The kids say Hi and miss you, by the way."

"I'll make some time to stop by. I'd love to see them again," she said. He nodded and the group spilled, quietly, onto the floor of the Peds ward.

The head nurse, for once in casual jeans and a cardigan, greeted them with a beaming smile and teary eyes.

"Put us to work!"

"Follow me," she said.

The Carnival worked out better than Sakura could ever have hoped or expected. With cooperation from the Students for Society club, they drew on their many volunteers to set up and lead a small set of games, lots of activities, snacks and treats for all the kids. The Drama department supplied costumes and volunteers who set up shows, jokes, pranks and character visits. The Martial Arts club provided the muscle to move the equipment, tools, and kids from station to station where different activities were taking place. They also paired up with the children who could not be mobile, and explained what was going on, sat with them all day, and became their 'friend' for the day (and beyond, as Sakura had explained to them carefully). These particular volunteers were hand-screened and had stepped forward to become Buddies for their chosen, long-term, ward; so the child could look forward to someone special coming to visit them regularly and to talk to them as a special friend.

As she passed Kisame regaling a group of children in the Activity Room with his feats of strength (they howled with laughter as he flexed his muscles and struggled to lift a toy mouse from the carpeted floor), she giggled and peeked around the corner of Shui's room, before stopping dead in her tracks. She retreated behind the wall, waiting and listening.

"You mean you were in a hospital, too?" she heard Shui ask.

"Hn. I was hurt and had to stay for a time. I did not like that I could not move around."

_Itachi?_

"I hate that part. Stupid IV," said Shui, and Sakura heard small slapping sounds as he tugged on the lines lightly. "You move around fine now, though. How did you get hurt?"

"Someone tried to hurt the people I cared about. They mean everything to me. I got hurt when I protected them."

"Are they okay?"

"Ah."

"Did you catch the bad guy?"

"No. The police are looking for him, though, to make sure that he doesn't hurt anyone else. But I am very happy to know that my important people are safe."

"The police," said Shui, and Sakura recognized the contemplation in his voice. "Do you know police officers?"

"A few," said Itachi.

Sakura wanted to grin at Itachi's passive answer, but held her breath as Shui continued.

"Could you ask them for some help, for me?"

"What can we do to help?"

"Could you ask them to help my parents? I think somebody needs to tell their bosses that they're taking up too much of their time. They need to come visit."

Sakura closed her eyes a moment, biting her lip. _Don't promise anything, Itachi, we aren't supposed to…_

"Of course. May I ask for your parents' names and their workplace?"

Sakura swallowed a groan when Shui answered. Damnit. She knew everyone had been given a quick orientation when they arrived; why had he gone against protocol?

"You look a lot like Doc Shisui, you know," said Shui.

"Hn… He is my cousin," admitted Itachi.

"Oh! Can you juggle like he can!"

"Ah," he said. And to Sakura's surprise she heard Shui giggling and clapping his hands a moment later.

"Where did you learn how to do that? I thought only Sakura and Doc Shisui could."

Itachi paused, and Sakura held her breath. "My cousin Shisui taught me so I could entertain my younger brother, Sasuke. I taught Sasuke, later, and I think perhaps he taught Sakura. It seems we have come full circle."

"Sasuke is your brother? I know him! He used to come in sometimes and play with us while Sakura finished her rounds. You're his big brother?"

"Ah," said Itachi.

"Do you know when he's coming back? We haven't seen him in a while. The nurses told us not to ask Sakura, since she was really sad for a while. I thought they were boyfriend and girlfriend."

Sakura pressed her lips together. _Gossipy nurses._

"I am sure they still care very much for each other; but Sasuke left to work in a place far away, and Sakura… Sakura misses him, too, I expect. I don't know if he wants to come back. Hopefully he will later."

"Do you miss him? I miss my brother."

"Ah."

"Do you talk to each other much? I try to call my brother on the phone almost every day."

"I haven't spoken to my brother since he left, in August."

Sakura stood up straighter. That was news to her.

"Really? Have you tried to call him?"

"I have tried to reach him by phone; he has not replied. I believe he is very busy with his new job."

"Has he left you any messages? That's kind of mean. You're lonely, even if you're a grown-up."

"Perhaps I will try and reach him again soon," said Itachi.

"Do you and Sakura cheer each other up? I know Hama does his best to cheer me up when my family aren't around, and when I can't find my brother on the phone."

Sakura held her breath.

Itachi's voice softened, and Sakura's heart tripped. "Sakura makes me very happy; I hope someday I can repay her kindness and make her happy in return."

"Maybe when your brother comes back the three of you can get together and have a party! Then you can all catch up with each other and have ice cream."

Sakura bit her tongue by accident, though her forehead puckered in a frown. If only things were so easy. Also, as wrong as it was, she knew Ino would have a field day with _that _suggestion. Something along the lines of two Uchihas at once, no doubt.

"Perhaps we will," said Itachi. Sakura heard a strange, detached distance enter his tone. Serious, dedicated, and perhaps stoic as Itachi could be, this hint of melancholy was unexpected and unusual in the proud, driven man.

In their short acquaintance it seemed Shui picked up on it, too. "Did I make you sad? I'm sorry!"

"No, not at all," said Itachi. "I am realizing how much I miss Sakura and Sasuke; we used to spend a lot of time together. I think I will reach out to my brother, as you said. Thank you, Shui. You are a wise young man."

Shui laughed, and Sakura heard a small, deep _oomph_. She bit her lip, realizing what must have just happened. Peeking around the corner, her suspicions were proven correct as she saw Itachi hesitantly reach his arms around the small boy's back as he clung to Itachi's broad chest. A smile pulled at the corners of Itachi's lips, warming Sakura's heart.

"I'm the smartest kid in the ward," boasted Shui, and Sakura heard Itachi chuckle. "Sakura says so."

"I'm sure you are, especially with her recommendation. She's a very intelligent young woman."

"And she's really pretty, too."

"Yes, she is," agreed Itachi, startling Sakura. His back was to the doorway, so he couldn't see her, but she quickly flipped back around into the hallway again, out of sight.

Cheeks burning, Sakura swallowed and made her way down the hall to the nurses' station. It would be clean-up time soon, and she had to coordinate the last batch of volunteers.

Five minutes later she was still patting her cheeks as Shisui snuck up behind her to startle and tease her about her rather fetching blush.

"Anyone moving in on Uchiha territory?" he asked, a knowing glint in his eye.

Whirling on him, Sakura's brow creased. "Wha—"

"Shisui. I wasn't aware this was one of your usual rotations," Itachi broke in.

Cheeks flaring anew, Sakura nearly swallowed her tongue and avoided looking at Itachi's face. Shisui's brow arched as he looked between the two. "I came in to see how the Carnival was going. It looks like things are progressing well." He turned to look at Sakura properly. "And to see if you needed a ride home. There's a news circus down there singing your praises for organizing this, by the way."

Wincing as she groaned, Sakura closed her eyes and prayed for patience. "All I did was put a call in to Students for Society, on campus. This is what they live for. And the MA club, since Kisame could pull rank and send out a request for volunteers. The fact that everyone showed up, and most with extra friends, was coincidence."

"Happy coincidence," remarked Shisui, grinning. Behind her, Itachi's eyes narrowed at him.

"Well definitely," said Sakura, oblivious of the Uchihas' tension and looking around them. She motioned to the excited patients, laughing adults, and overall festive atmosphere. "We may have pulled this off a bit last-minute, but we did it. And it means a lot to the kids. A few of the volunteers already spoke to the head nurse about when they can come back to visit again, and others are asking about other opportunities to volunteer or help organize another event in the winter or spring." She gave a quick shrug of her shoulders, more to loosen them than anything else, before her smile broke through again. "We did well, today," she added softly.

"_You_ did well today," said Shisui, slinging an arm around her shoulders and drawing her closer. He angled Sakura so her back was to Itachi, while he sent his younger cousin a knowing, unrepentant smirk. "So," he added, steering them down a hallway. "What's left for the day?"

"We've started cleaning up the messes, but if you wanted to help a few of the nurses and doctors with making sure the mobile kids are properly re-established in their beds, that would be a big help. Everyone's pretty tuckered out," said Sakura.

"Will do. Wait for me and I'll give you a ride home. We can escape through the employee entrance, again. I do love foiling others' attempts for your attention."

Sakura laughed, missing once again the wink and smirk Shisui sent Itachi's way.

* * *

"The extra volunteers? Oh, from the Martial Arts club on campus," said Sakura as she looked up from the guest and volunteer log and answered the head nurse. "I called Kisame-sensei and asked him to put an APB out to the club for extra help."

"Itachi did that," said Kisame, coming up behind her to sign out. "He's on the Campus Response Team and the Students for Society, though as more of an organizer than a participant, these days. He's taking a bit of a break from some of the activities, since the accident."

"He did?"

Kisame nodded with a grunt. "Yep."

"Some of the nurses recognized him, actually," said the head nurse. "I thought he looked familiar." She shook her head, clucking her tongue. "Poor man. A few nurses from other wards stopped by through the day once rumour went around he was back. It makes sense, now."

"What happened?"

Kisame snorted, and the nurse have a small chuckle. "I believe there was mention of free sponge baths at his convenience."

"Not that again," said Shisui, joining them as the last of the volunteers signed out.

"'Again'?" Sakura looked up at him.

"It seems Itachi was very popular when he was last admitted in August," he said with a wink in Sakura's direction. "And the nurses haven't forgotten him."

"Oh," she said. "Poor Itachi. He doesn't like having a lot of attention, in that respect. And he wouldn't have been able to avoid them, either, would he?"

Shisui laughed. "Nope. I think it did him some good, though. Reminded him he was an eligible male, technically not off the market yet. Well, sort of. His attentions are decided, shall we say."

"I didn't know he was seeing someone!"

"He's not, exactly. He's interested in them. and has been for a long time, but I don't know if he's made his move, yet," said Shisui. He gave Sakura a penetrating look she didn't understand.

"Not yet," snorted Kisame, keeping his eyes on the sign-out form he passed to another departing student. "And don't bug him about it. He gets testy."

"Is it someone on campus?" asked Sakura, curious. "I wonder if I know them… He's never mentioned anyone. Over the summer, I mean, he hadn't mentioned anyone. You're sure he's liked them for a while?"

"I would have thought my private business was just that," came Itachi's deep, soft voice from just behind her. Startled, Sakura jumped and her shoulders shot up to her ears as she spun around. Here she'd been complaining about gossipy, intrusive nurses, and what happened? Ugh.

"Hi! I thought you'd left already," she said, flushed.

"Not yet," he answered. His dark eyes flashed as he looked over Kisame and Shisui, murder lurking in their inky depths.

"So, I hear there are more offers for sponge baths today, 'tachi." Shisui's eyes gleamed, matching his shit-eating grin perfectly. He wiggled his eyebrows at his cousin. "Taking anyone up on their offer this time?"

"No. Thank you for keeping my private number to yourself this time around, Shisui," Itachi said darkly.

Sakura's eyes shot to Shisui. "You didn't…"

"It was in his best interests," said Shisui. "He hadn't been out, or in, with a lady friend in—"

Kisame cleared his throat loudly.

"Rather yours," said Itachi to Shisui. Sakura noted his clenched jaw, the pronounced tension in his throat as it led to the black button-down shirt that was slightly open at his clavicle. His pulse beat quickly, she noticed.

Shaking her head, Sakura refocused her attention elsewhere as the flush reheated her neck and cheeks.

So distracted was she that she missed the teasing banter the men around her engaged in, until Shisui touched her arm.

"Ready to go?"

She looked at the nurse who was smiling and nodding at her. "You've gone above and beyond, Sakura. We can't thank you and your friends enough for this," she gushed, giving her a spontaneous hug.

"It's my pleasure," said Sakura, returning her hug. "But I didn't do it alone. Without Kisame, Itachi, Naruto and Ino, and so many others, this would have been a lot smaller. Or, not much at all."

"Modest, too," piped up Shisui.

"Modest? My apprentice?"

"Good afternoon, Doctor Tsunade," said Itachi, reaching his hand forward. Tsunade nodded to him and shook his hand. "Good to see you, Itachi. In good health, I take it?"

"Of course."

Shisui hid a cough behind his hand.

"Ap-ap-ap—" Sakura stuttered.

"Apprentice," repeated Tsunade, arms crossed in front of her. "That's what you're aiming for, isn't it? I'm reserving your spot. If you're this determined, you'll do well. Just stick with it and keep your nose clean. Now, leave the ward, it is time for the professionals to get back to work," she ordered.

"Leaving," said Shisui, winding his arm through Sakura's and pulling her away.

"Thank you so much for your help," she called back to the remaining volunteer stragglers, Kisame and Itachi included.

"Anytime!" said Kisame, while Itachi nodded.

Shisui and Sakura cleared the elevators as Itachi turned to Kisame.

"How much did he say?" asked Itachi carefully.

"Not enough," sighed Kisame.

Itachi's eyes narrowed at Kisame, who ignored him. "Hungry?" he asked Itachi, instead.

"Don't you have children to return to?"

"Wife took 'em to her family's for the weekend," sighed Kisame, his smile blissful.

"You aren't joining them?" asked Itachi silkily.

Kisame sent Itachi a death glare while Itachi smirked.

* * *

"Sakura, I'm taking a night away from the clubs and my adoring fans to come hang out with you. What's up?"

"Altruism, I present your definitive embodiment. Her name is Ino," said Sakura.

Ino set the bowl of popcorn between herself and Sakura as they sat together on Sakura's couch, late that Saturday night. She yawned, tossing her blonde head back. "Man, those kids were cute. But exhausting."

Sakura nodded. "They're worth every minute, though. Reminds us of what's important, right?"

"That it did," said Ino sagely. "That it did. Now spill before I fall asleep."

Sakura gave her a look before caving. She fiddled with the edge of the blanket off the couch. "I've been doing some thinking. About a lot of things. And while I'm afraid this may lead to possibly catastrophic localised seismic activity… I need your help with figuring things out."

Ino perked up. "This is boy-related, isn't it? Is it Sasuke? Did he reach out?"

"No, he hasn't reached out apart from that one call." Sakura frowned. "I haven't either, really, though. He left because he wanted space, and I tried not to be clingy."

"Towards him; that whole repelling all other males on the planet thing you mastered in his absence."

Sakura nodded. "I wasn't ready, Ino. I didn't want to take out my issues on someone else when I couldn't even figure out what they were."

"Which is fair. But some of them, in fact many of them, wouldn't have minded helping you figure yourself out in some letting-off-steam ways. But that's okay, continue."

"Right, well," Sakura's fingers wound together. "I'm… I'm realizing I miss Sasuke for his friendship." She thought of the last several times she'd wanted to call. It had been his comforting familiarity she'd missed, his friendship, not his hugs and kisses, exactly. "I miss my friend Sasuke. But I'm noticing other guys."

Ino's eyes widened as did her smile.

"That doesn't mean I'm ready to go boyfriend shopping," said Sakura quickly. "But I'm… I think I'm getting over Sasuke enough to differentiate my platonic love for him, which I will always have, since I do still care for him, from my romantic love for him, which he kind of threw away without being willing to talk to me about."

"I'm so proud of you!" Ino reached over to hug Sakura, and Sakura hugged her back, relief making her shoulders lighter than she could remember them being in some time.

"I know it isn't easy, hon, but you're doing great," said Ino, still hugging Sakura.

"Thank you for putting up with me while I've been going through this, Ino," said Sakura. "I know I've been kind of depressed. And a spinster. And a killjoy—"

"Yes, and yes, and yes," nodded Ino.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "But I want you to know you're the best friend I could have ever asked for, and it means a lot to have you in my life. Thank you for being my soul-mate-bro-in-boob'ed-form."

"Always," sniffed Ino. "Gods bless our boobs."

They laughed together a moment, releasing tension.

"I know you're holding yourself back," sighed Sakura as the girls let each other go. With a long suffering groan, she leaned back against the couch. "Ask."

"It's Itachi, isn't it?"

Sakura shook her head. "I swear to god you have a flipping surveillance team on me. Why do you keep thinking it's Itachi?"

Sitting up straighter and tucking her knees under her, Ino bounced on the couch. Counting off on her fingers, she began.

"One, the way he looks at you, and has been looking at you, for the last few years. I haven't seen him around you much, but every time I have, I mean every single time, he's aware of you. Not only that, but how he's looking at you since this past summer: longing, girl. That fine piece of Uchiha longs for you.

"Second, he took a fucking near-fatal wound from a crazy psycho relative in order to protect you."

"And Sasuke," reminded Sakura. Ino waved the suggestion aside.

At that, Ino shot up taller and shook her third finger at Sakura. "Third, he put aside his brotherly love for Sasuke, for you. He let you cry on his shoulder instead of getting Sasuke. He drove you home over hours instead of getting you a cab. He apologized to you for his behaviour when he made a mistake; a mistake which he admitted was caused by his own jealousy. He could have let Sasuke handle all these encounters, and instead he stood up and did them himself."

Sakura pressed her lips together, running her fingers through the popcorn.

"Fourth," said Ino. "He went out of his way to gather volunteers for the hospital, today.

"Fifth, he has been keeping an eye on you since the term started."

"Prove that," said Sakura.

Ino handed her phone to Sakura after opening a folder in her gallery. "Check it out."

"You have seriously been stalking our TA?!" Sakura gaped at Ino.

"Of course not," said Ino, aghast. "I made Naruto do it. He's only in class part-time."

Sakura's face dropped into her hands.

"If he finds out, Ino," she breathed, voice hoarse, horror and adrenaline rushing through her.

Ino made a dismissive noise in her throat. "Naruto was hardly subtle. He'd usually strike up a conversation with Itachi at some point. But anyway, these are shots that he took. A few are mine, but most are Naruto's."

Sakura's hands trembled slightly. She bit her lip, and dared to look at the phone, before setting it face-down between them on the couch.

Ino looked at her.

"I can't, Ino." She said, swallowing. "This is an invasion of his privacy. Consent. If he didn't give his okay for these to be taken, I can't look."

"But you want to," needled Ino. She had a knowing quirk to her brow that Sakura couldn't deny.

She frowned at Ino instead.

Which led to Ino grinning and retrieving the phone slowly, trailing her fingers on it teasingly.

"Knew it," said Ino.

"No, Ino, just…" Sakura sighed, rubbing at her forehead.

"You're going to stretch it," sing-songed Ino.

Still rubbing, Sakura gave her the finger and Ino laughed.

"But I'm right, aren't I?"

Sakura grumbled.

"What was that?"

"I said," Sakura repeated. "It was… Today I… noticed, Itachi."

"As the entire female half of the human race has been doing since he breathed his first breath, and a good chunk of the male population since."

"No, I mean," Sakura looked heavenward. "It happened once before, this summer. At the villa. But I just dismissed it." Well, mostly. She resisted the urge to bite her lip again. She wasn't sure what Itachi had been playing at while they'd been in his family's kitchen, that night at the beach. "But, more recently, I'm noticing him. And it's uncomfortable. And I don't know what to do. And I don't know why I'm noticing him."

Ino blinked at Sakura, slowly.

She then cleared her throat, swallowed, tilted her head, and gave Sakura a look of pure, tight-lipped consternation.

"Sakura, a question," said Ino.

Sakura nodded.

"Do you have ovaries?"

"Yes."

"They are reacting to the most perfect male in creation then. All is well," declared Ino, leaning back against the couch, arms crossed over her bosom.

"No! This is serious, Ino!"

"Yes, it is!" Ino laughed. "Oh. My. God, Sakura!" She howled, falling sideways. "Congratulations! You have officially moved on from Sasuke to more mature pursuits. His sintastic, better built, more accomplished big brother, Sir Sex-On-Toned-Legs Senior."

"Oh god, I'm a horrible person," said Sakura, covering her face with her hands.

"No! No, no, no," Ino rushed out. "No! This is natural. This is normal. This is actually a very good sign. You're moving on, Sakura. This is good. Auntie Ino promises." She reached out to push Sakura's hair behind her ear. "Sakura, I'm not saying you're picturing Itachi as a potential love match," she said, in control of herself once more. "Though no one would blame you if you did. What I'm saying is that you recognize he is hot. Your body recognizes him as a formidable, mountable, deliciously fuckable potential mate. That's it."

"You're lying. I'm a horrible person." She faltered. "And… it's wrong to speak about him that way."

"No," said Ino, giggling again. "No, you're female and heterosexual. So am I. Well, I'm bi, but whatever. That's all. And I'm sure that he wouldn't mind that you did find him fancy-able, honestly." She dangled the phone in front of Sakura before putting it aside again. "I'm sure he's heard it all before, anyway. Just not from the person he wants to hear it from. There's a girl out there that he likes, and while he's a gentleman to everyone, I'm sure she's the only one he cares about romantically and wants deep down, the only one he wants to see happy, and the only one he finds truly pretty or beautiful. And I'm telling you, I'm pretty sure that person is sitting right across from me on this couch."

"Well, apparently he has someone he's liked for a while and just hasn't made a move on, so it can't be me, so there," said Sakura. She barely withheld the urge to stick her tongue out at Ino. "Kisame and Shisui said as much at the hospital today."

"Did they really? What were their exact words?" Ino leaned forward.

Sakura pressed her lips together, brow furrowing. She did not like the look on Ino's face.

"Something about him not… um… dating… in a while, even though he's not officially off the market."

Oh, she really didn't like the way her stomach curled up into a ball in that moment to hide from Ino.

"I really want to show you what's on the phone and just shake you," growled Ino from between her teeth. "However, fine, we'll do it your way and just… not. For now."

"You're not going to delete the pictures."

"Hell no. This is my insurance policy. Someday, you'll appreciate these!"

"Please promise me you won't sell them on some kind of fetish site." Sakura looked over at her friend, brow creased. "You can get in legal trouble for that."

"Of course not!" Ino sputtered. "Also, uh, coincidentally I'll just be right back, gotta go call Naruto."

Sakura waved her friend off, and Ino hopped from the couch to hide in Sakura's bedroom for a few minutes. She heard the muted sounds of a very brief, very fierce conversation, and got up to make them both a fresh cup of tea.

So what if she found Itachi, um, hot now? And that his conversation with Shui that afternoon had touched her. And that his careful attention that summer had kind of stayed with her and bolstered her flagging self-confidence when she'd been worried no one would ever like her again after Sasuke had used her and dumped her without even an explanation… though with the implication it had to do with Itachi.

The kettle whistled as she broke from her stupor, pouring the scalding water automatically over the teabags in their cups.

So what if she may have, sort of, thought of him, just for a second, looking at her again the way he had that summer at the villa in the kitchen, with the dim lights as she sat on the counter between his knees, him leaning over her and about to make a very dangerous intention clear.

"Daydreaming about him already?"

"No! I'm… I'm tired," lied Sakura.

"Uh huh."

"I love you and hate you in equal measure, some days," she huffed at Ino, setting their cups down on the table again.

"Uh huh."

The girls were silent a minute before they burst out laughing together.

Ino's lips twisted in a smirk. "For the record, I think a man with Itachi's confidence would have a huge—"

Sakura's eyes bulged as she spat out her tea. Ino just laughed.

* * *

"Ino?"

"Mmm?"

Sakura turned on her side to look at Ino who slept on the inflatable mattress in Sakura's room. Even in the dark, Ino's hair shone like a goddess'.

"What made you change your mind about Itachi?"

"Hmm?"

"Stop pretending to be asleep. You fail horribly at it."

Grumbling under her breath, Ino sighed and turned to look up at Sakura.

"What?"

"You didn't trust Itachi at all this summer. Even at the beginning of this term, unless it related to class, you didn't want him near us. What's with the change in opinion?"

Ino let out a low breath and sank back onto her back again.

"Did we not talk about this earlier tonight?"

Sakura shook her head. "I know you're spying on me for Sasuke, Ino. It's okay. I know you're only doing it because you care, and you aren't going to betray a confidence."

"Sasuke only asked because he cares, too."

"I know," said Sakura. "Trust me, I've wanted to be able to call someone in Oto up to be able to check up on him, too. I hate that he never got into social media."

"I know! How am I supposed to keep stalking him if he makes himself so invisible!" said Ino.

"Yeah, that's probably why he doesn't have one. That, and his family refuse to let anyone in the main clan have anything to do with social media." She gave Ino a side-eyed look. "Though with all the photos you've been trying to sneak-take of me, maybe that's a good thing. What are you doing with those, anyway? It seems like every few days I hear the click of a camera. I turn around sometimes and I can't even find you or Naruto to figure out which one of you is stalking me."

"Uchihas. They're so nineties," scoffed Ino. She completely ignored Sakura's other line of questioning. That she was maybe forwarding them on to Sasuke to relieve his anxieties about leaving Sakura when there was still a stalker on the loose wasn't something she was going to share with her best friend at the moment. Sakura didn't need any more stress or internal conflict than she already had.

"Back to my question, Master of Misdirection," said Sakura. "What gives?"

"I repeat, we discussed this earlier," said Ino. "But… mostly? Because apart from that one time at the villa—which we both agree was ridiculously out of character for him, and which seriously makes me wonder if he was on drugs—he really has honestly looked at you with nothing but longing and respect, and gone out of his way for you when he had no need to. And he's never asked for anything in return."

"He could be gay."

Ino shook her head. "Nope. That man is not gay. Bi, possibly, but he likes ladies."

Sakura's brow quirked. "Your inherent gay-dar in action again?"

Ino nodded firmly. "Yep. He may be interested in men, maybe, but he's all about the ladies."

"You also theorized that Sasuke was bi," reminded Sakura.

"And I maintain that assertion! Boy just doesn't accept that about himself, yet. I swear, if we'd left him and Naruto in a closet long enough, we would have video evidence!"

"No, we'd have had a manslaughter charge on our hands because Naruto hated the dark and tried to climb up Sasuke to reach an imaginary air duct you drew on the ceiling to get out, and Sasuke nearly ripped his legs off in frustration."

"You say 'off', I say 'open'—"

"Ino!" laughed Sakura, and Ino just grinned and chuckled.

"You think Itachi's a straight-up guy?" asked Sakura again, after a moment of silence.

"Straight or bi, he likes ladies, and he likes you in particular. Naruto, who started hating Itachi's guts this summer and has been stalking him on campus to try and find some way of destroying his immaculate reputation—"

"Gods, I hope you only mean pranking him," sighed Sakura, rubbing at her face.

"—has been snapping pictures of Itachi like there's no tomorrow. And while there are barely a handful of you and Itachi being in the same area at the same time, it has happened, and whenever it has, I swear Naruto has had like a magic shutterbug finger, because Itachi changes like a goddamn Transformer when it comes to you."

"Now he's Bumblebee?"

"Nah, he's totally Optimus Prime. His entire body language shifts. You refuse to look at the photos, but if you did, you'd see it, Sak."

"If it were that obvious, Ino, other people would have noticed."

"Maybe they have; maybe that's why he's staying away from you intentionally. It's your first term, you started already with a strike against you, socially, for the craziness that happened in August. It's weird that you were so close to the Uchiha family all last year, and this summer, and suddenly Itachi's acting like he doesn't know you. He's doing it intentionally, I think, to protect you and your academic reputation so you don't make any enemies inadvertently. Let's face it, his reputation is pretty much made. Governments are trying to recruit him, his family's made of power, and he's academically seen as the saviour of his field. Anything he touches turns to gold at this point; yet he is still unattached. What man in that position—who is not gay—is unattached?"

"One who hasn't found the right person yet," said Sakura, as if this should be obvious.

Ino shook her head. "Nope. He'd at least have had a history of relationships." She looked over at Sakura again. "He's waiting for the person he wants, and that person, love, is you."

"I'm sure he's dated. Just… not recently. At least going by what Sasuke said. You don't think this is just a bit too much circumstantial evidence?"

"Believe me, Sakura, I've been looking for evidence of Itachi being sketchy for months. All I've found are bits and pieces that show me he's head over heels for you and waiting for you to catch up to him in some way so he can make his move. His sketchbook pictures of you? You're his muse. His attention to you on the trip? He's devoted to you. His freaking out at you for sleeping with Sasuke? Again, I'm sure he was drunk or drugged because it was so out of character for him, but I think he was internally freaking out with jealousy and not expressing himself properly. Doesn't make what he said right, ever, but he took responsibility for it and apologized the next day. Should he maybe be looking for a woman who's closer to his age? Well, yeah, that kind of makes me wonder; but there's obviously something about you that has caught his attention. That's something you should maybe check with him about; and if he's been crushing on you longer than the last year or three, like, call Dateline or something because that's kind of creepy, but… yeah. That's what I think."

Sakura stared at Ino, agape.

"And you just thought to tell me this now?!"

Ino shrugged. "Meh."

"How did you put all this together?"

"Criminology. We've been looking at motivations and evidence and stuff."

Sakura sighed and fell back against her mattress.

"_I'M_ your mid-term project, aren't I?"

"For the record, I changed your name in the actual paper."

"Dare I ask?"

"I got an A-plus, special mention on it."

"What did you call me, Ino?"

"...Cherry Spring-Blossom."

Sakura sighed.

"Special mention!"

"Yeah, that's great, Ino," sighed Sakura.

* * *

**AN: Happy birthday, Itachi!** *heaps roses &amp; diamonds on Uchiha altar in her closet* (His birthday: June 9)

**AN 2: Questions about how old everyone is...** Hmmm... Let's go with 18/19 for Sakura/Sasuke/Naruto, and *about* 21-22 for Itachi. Give or take a bit.

**AN 3: Thank you all for the Fabulous! Madara x Sakura fic recs.** Keep 'em coming, darlings! You spoil me. (And I LOVE it.)

**AN 4: I haven't done this before, so here goes: I have a poll up on my author profile.** Take a look and let me know whom you'd like me to pair Sakura with for a one-shot, if this fic hits 200 reviews. Poll stays open until we get that 200th review. Let me know what you'd like to read/see more of from me!

**Thank you all, have a wonderful week! Lots of love to you, wonderful readers. You're amazing!**

**-mm**


	10. Chapter 10

In the meeting that afternoon, Sasuke barely held himself back from leaping up over the boardroom table and calling out one of his superiors—no, supervisor, he mentally corrected, and frowned to himself. There was no way that half-wit was his superior by any wild twist of the imagination—for his idiocy. If the man had been doing his regular check-ins on the project, there was no way they would have ended up in this meeting being reamed by upper management for delays and gross incompetence.

"—and lastly, who is Uchiha Sasuke?"

Releasing his hands from their fists at his sides, Sasuke lifted his chin and stood up to look at the upper-level manager.

"Sir," he said, jaw tense.

"You're the one who ran these numbers?"

"No, sir. I ran the checks on the numbers and related my findings, corrections, and suggestions for process improvements to my direct supervisory team." Opening his folder, Sasuke handed a copy of his findings to the manager. "I delivered them by e-mail and by hand, last week."

There was a pause as the manager looked them over; then his brow furrowed, and he passed the package of papers to his colleague beside him, whispering and indicating certain passages on several pages, before straightening and looking back at Sasuke again.

"Is this true?" the manager asked Sasuke's supervisor.

"Yes, sir, but with Sasuke being such a junior employee, we thought it best to review the data with him first before proceeding—"

Sasuke's papers were slapped to the boardroom table with a loud smack. "Really? You thought that half-assed, error-laden pile of shit was better than this? He may be a junior member of your team, but he's obviously got more between his ears than the rest of your department put together!

"Yakushi!"

"Yes, sir?" Kabuto straightened from where he'd been leaning against the wall on the far side of the room.

"Is Uchiha still under probation?"

"Yes, sir."

The manager nodded, his eyes still on Sasuke's.

"Uchiha? Related to the Konoha Uchihas?"

"Yes, sir," said Sasuke, back straight.

"How'd you like to transfer to Auditing and Controls? Your head for numbers, attention to detail and initiative for looking to prevent cluster fucks from happening," he turned to look at Sasuke's stiff-lipped supervisor, "is refreshing."

Sasuke swallowed. _Auditing? _

"You'll be challenged, and you'll be watched, but you'll also become one of the watchers, if you play your cards right." The man's brow twitched, and Sasuke saw a flicker of amusement shine in the man's eyes. "Somehow, I get the feeling you know your way around a deck of cards."

"If my team can spare me, I would be happy to assist you in any way I could, sir," replied Sasuke, nodding respectfully to his supervisor.

"They can," snorted the large man. "If they didn't recognize your contributions before, they won't miss you now, will they?"

In a moment of tact, Sasuke kept his mouth shut.

* * *

On the ride home that night, Sasuke flipped his phone over in his hands, and over again. A hint of a smile softened his features, and his step was energetic as he crossed the subway platform to his exit. The evening was chilly but clear and he decided to walk the extra half hour from the station to his home instead of taking the bus.

He'd done it.

He'd worked hard, he'd proven himself.

He'd been recognized.

Heart light, he couldn't wait to tell—

Sasuke's gait slowed before he tread more carefully once more as so much history flooded him at once.

Conflicting emotions rained upon him with the force of a deluge. Devotion, longing, misery, suspicion, unease, treachery. And recently, the kindled spark, which he prayed was kindred, between them as they reconnected once more after the incident at the hospital.

His guts churned at the memory of her kidnapping foiling and the subsequent media typhoon. She hated the media, so much. As proud as she was of the good she'd done, she'd shied away from the storm of cameras and speculation. She was so brilliant, a star he could only reach for, it felt like. He admired that greatness about her, to act so altruistically somehow without seeking recognition or reward. Not that he thought it was best; he thought she deserved every accolade, and payment, for the good work she'd done. He recognized her desire for anonymity, though, especially after this past summer.

What about his accomplishments today? Would she mind him reaching out to her to share in them? Would she be proud of him?

Would she care?

He wasn't like her. He liked being recognized for his successes. Yes, she did, too, but she didn't gloat or rub them in others' faces. He didn't do it intentionally… it just happened because he didn't shy away from his success the way she did. He was Uchiha. Greatness was expected. Others expected it of him; he expected it of himself. He settled for nothing less.

Would Sakura think he was gloating if he were to call her? Would she think less of him?

He'd never questioned this aspect of his character before, or hers, because prior to this time they'd shared their successes, been part of each other's victories and triumphs.

_She would be proud of you,_ whispered a part of himself, soul-deep inside. _She would be happy for you. _

_Show her you're becoming stronger, greater, more powerful,_ another voice, the one that brought with it that sticky, sludgy coating that turned his head into a filthy, claustrophobic mire of anxiety. _Show her you're the one who can defend her now; not like before when you were a weakling. Not like when you needed your brother to reach out and save the day._

The flare of panic that assaulted him as he'd seen his brother fall to his knees, shooting into the woods and calling out in pain before shouting at him to protect Sakura and her family and _get behind the locked fucking doors_, seized Sasuke as he walked, again, and he felt himself choking and struggling to catch his breath, his hands shaking as the impotence of the situation.

_It's over. It's over. It isn't happening right now,_ he repeated in his head, desperately. His breathing became high and tight, and he felt adrenaline rush through him as the sounds and feelings from that night in August flooded his senses.

_Stop it, stop it, stop it,_ he told himself, and dug in his pocket for his keys.

With a quick jab of his key into his leg fresh new pain refocused him on the present, on the once pleasant evening he'd been enjoying just a few moments earlier.

"I am not inadequate," he murmured under his breath, fighting the urge to pant as he refocused. He struggled to level his emotions and regain a modicum of composure, and was grateful when he saw his apartment block come into view.

"I am not inadequate," he repeated. "I will get stronger. I will be greater."

His brother's, Itachi's, gently smiling face as he'd wished him well from the airport surfaced in Sasuke's mind.

_Greater than you_, he thought, injecting poison into each word.

Mood ruined, doubts flitting around his periphery once more like shadows preying on a lonely child at night, Sasuke trudged up the steps to his building.

Perhaps he'd call Sakura another evening.

* * *

Yoroi Akado, the head of the Auditing and Controls department, loomed over Sasuke as he arrived in his new area the next morning.

Arms crossed and stressing his unbuttoned suit, Yoroi passed by Sasuke and went to stand in front of a small, private office.

Holding in his eye-brow arching, Sasuke approached him with his compact box of personal belongings from his old desk. (His phone charger and… some pens. He hadn't wanted to publicize any part of his personal life at work.) His own office?

"This is your space to do with as you please. Keep it clean and you're allowed to do anything else you want."

Sasuke nodded and placed his box on his new, larger, heavier executive desk.

"Your internal extension and computer have been transferred to this office, and you should expect no interruption to the network or services. Your choice of services is now greatly expanded; you'll need to be able to test systems and things, going forward, to see what others can do to anticipate what they shouldn't be doing."

Sasuke nodded.

"Which brings me to your new assignment." Yoroi handed Sasuke a folder. "You'll need to memorize these passwords and then put this folder in the shredding bin by noon; you'll then confirm to me by e-mail that you did so. Then you'll review the content in the red folder. You are to anticipate any and all ways, legal and illegal, that someone here at Oto could try to circumvent the laws and trade treaties with Konoha in order to force a product line through into distribution there. Don't go easy on this assignment. We need to keep our heads up and aware of what could be happening within the company. Do you understand?"

Sasuke's memory twigged at the mention of a new product launch in Konoha, and Karin and Sui's pub conversation drifted back to him in pieces. "Would you like me to design regulations to implement to prevent these scenarios from becoming possible?"

"Another team is handling that; we want to see how detail-oriented you can be with possibilities," said Yoroi.

Sasuke nodded.

"Oh, and Uchiha?"

"Yes, sir."

"Everything that happens in this department is highly confidential. That means nothing comes in or out without my say-so. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Get to work."

With that Yoroi left Sasuke to his office, his assignment, and his, Sasuke soon discovered, many, many passwords to memorize.

* * *

When Sasuke's personal mobile phone rang that evening around seven thirty, he frowned at the caller ID.

"What do you want, Dead Last?"

"Oooh, someone missed his supper. Do you need your mom to come give you a bath, too?"

Sasuke hung up.

He stifled a sigh when Naruto called right back, and held his cellphone away from his ear.

"You shitty bastard! I call long distance to talk to your lazy, scummy, bad-friend ass, and what do you do?..."

When Naruto's rant trailed off and his panting sounded less disgusting, Sasuke picked up his phone again.

"What do you want?"

"I hadn't heard from you in a few days, man. What's up?"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke straightened up in his seat and stretched his taut neck muscles.

"Things are moving along well. I got a promotion to a new department. It's pretty cool," he said. "I have my own office." He didn't bother withholding his smirk.

As expected, this set Naruto off again, though instead of being mad as Sasuke had anticipated, he was proud and congratulatory. "Really!? Awesome going, Uchiha-bastard! Nothing less for you, huh?"

Brows furrowing at bit in surprise, Sasuke felt his lips twitch a bit as a genuine smile threatened. Naruto was truly, bone-deep happy for him.

"... Yeah, it's not so bad. I have my own projects, too. They're confidential, but they're pretty interesting."

"Cool! And if you need to talk about them later, I can totally keep my mouth shut. Lips sealed, zipped, I'm telling ya!"

Sasuke shook his head, smothering his chuckle. "You don't know the meaning of the words silence or secret."

"Ehhhhh? Of course I do!"

"It's like writing, but without putting anything down on paper," snarked Sasuke, enjoying the banter with his best friend.

"Oy! Bastard! I can too keep a secret! I keep secret files and everything! I document my day, every day, and it keeps me on track with my studying and meetings and stuff! Sakura and the Pervy Sage helped me get it going, and I'm doing amazing!"

Sasuke could practically imagine Naruto writing 'secret' notes in a child's froggy-styled notebook as he spied on their friends from around corners, supposedly incognito.

But something he'd said clicked in Sasuke's head. "You document your day?"

"Well, yeah. You aren't here to remind me where to be and when, and Sakura's in different classes, so I have a whole schedule. I write down what I do in it, and I block off specific time to do my readings and when my meetings are, and I check it every class to make sure I'm not missing things."

"That sounds like a daybook, Naruto. You were supposed to learn how to use one in first grade."

"Well this is… bigger than that! This is documentation! And, and, and I mark down what I did, and what I didn't do, and I have goals and plans to help me reach those goals, and I track what I've done and—"

"I get it. It's a life planner. And it sounds like it is working," said Sasuke, tension building behind his eyes. He'd noticed it was more noticeable when he couldn't release his pent-up stress on Naruto physically. Something occurred to him. "Do you schedule in time to call me?"

Sasuke realized he hadn't really called anyone other than Sakura (and his mother) that once since he arrived. Except for Ino, but she didn't count. She was his source.

"Sort of," admitted Naruto, breaking into Sasuke's thoughts. "You're in my 'Reward' block. So, like, if I meet so many of my goals in a day or a week, I have a block of time written in where I can reward myself for my accomplishments."

"I'm your reward?"

"... you're making fun of me, aren't you?" said Naruto, and Sasuke could hear the hints of discomfort and shame in Naruto's voice. They pricked like tiny baby fingernails at his conscience. Gods, he was a bastard.

"I was going to say that you must be doing a whole damn lot to get as good a reward as my precious time," said Sasuke.

"You bet yer ass I am!"

Sasuke smirked.

"So how are you doing?" asked Sasuke, leaning back in his chair to relax and listen to Naruto ramble on for a bit. "Been tossed out of any tutorials yet?"

Some of the tension in his shoulders fled as Naruto exploded, per Standard Operating Procedure.

But… He was someone's reward. Huh.

* * *

Itachi and Kisame held their tea and coffee respectively as they crossed the quad towards Itachi's office.

"You're still good for trick-or-treating?"

"Hn. I'll be coming straight from an interview shoot, though. If you wouldn't mind putting away the messy crafts, my dry cleaner would appreciate it."

Kisame snorted. "Just for that, I'm going to buy them an industrial size glitter-glue variety pack."

Itachi smirked and shook his head, taking another sip of his tea.

"I'll take the bill out of the babysitting fees," said Itachi.

"Since when have we ever paid you?"

Itachi fought the urge to grin, hiding behind his cup. "Your beloved children pay me in blackmail bait."

"Those little bastards," grumbled Kisame, crunching his coffee cup in his hand until it spilled over the side and made him grunt. "Damnit. You made me do that."

It was only through many years' practice that Itachi's face remained impassive on his way to his office. "What time on Halloween?"

"Around five thirty. We'll be finished gutting and carving the pumpkins by then, and you'll get the youngest two for trick-or-treating while I drive the two oldest to the party."

"Mrs Hoshigaki is handing out candy this time?"

"If the neighbourhood kids aren't too scared of her." It was Kisame's turn to smirk. "The young ones adore her, but the older ones learned last year that she's the real terror, after that candy-stealing incident."

"Hn."

"She says thank you for your help that night, by the way," said Kisame with good grace.

"I provided but knowledge."

"And an alibi." Kisame snerked in a raw, wheezy way. "Right, well, bring a coat, hat and gloves for taking the kids out. We'll have some hand-warmers to put in their mitts if it gets too cold, but you're on your own."

"Hn."

"Who's the interview with?"

"_Modern Language and Communication_. They said it was a special issue focusing on how communication has impacted warfare and diplomacy over the last century or so," said Itachi, taking a seat in his office as Kisame closed the door behind them. It allowed them to speak freely.

Kisame nodded. "Good exposure for you." He winked at Itachi. "Better keep the door open during the interview. Is it at a hotel again?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed at Kisame. "Would you come chaperone?"

"Nope," grinned Kisame, unrepentant.

Itachi remained impassive, but Kisame knew his friend was frustrated. This type of frustration was good for Itachi, though, in his estimation.

"Have you ever considered that dating may help put some of them off?"

There was the eye-narrowing again, making Kisame grin wider.

"You can ask to have it in a business conference room at the hotel, if you want. And cite you fear for your modesty and reputation," choked Kisame, before he threw back his head and roared with laughter.

Itachi's brow tensed, and Kisame laughed harder, a hand lifting to his heart to calm himself.

"Aw geez, kid. I swear, in spite of yourself, someday some good woman will make a man out of you. Whether it's in the backseat of a car, a tawdry hotel, or on your wedding night, but it'll happen."

"In spite of your better half, you're unduly obsessed with my personal business."

"She's just as obsessed with it and laments that you aren't indulging in your fanclub's offerings," assured Kisame, still breaking out in giggles every so often. "Think of how many more accolades you could be earning."

Tea spilled over Itachi's hands as his cheeks heated, and Kisame lost it all over again.

"You're insufferable," bit out Itachi, wiping his hands with his handkerchief.

"Virgin," retorted Kisame cheerfully.

"Principled," defended Itachi with a quiet sigh.

"Too self-disciplined for your own damn good."

Itachi leaned back in his seat and held Kisame's eyes, his arms relaxed on the arm rests.

"I stayed away at your recommendation. What further do you suggest, Kisame? I don't intend to date someone I'm not interested in; it would be unfair to all involved." He paused, before admitting. "It didn't work, anyway."

Kisame lifted his hands. "I agree, in part, with the wife. You aren't a monk. If you don't relax once in a while, you may find yourself wound tighter than you need to be."

"Unlike some others, I did not spend my ashores in houses of ill repute praying thereafter that the camp medic had strong enough antibiotics to boil off whatever my shore-leave pay happened to afford in that particular port," said Itachi in a monotone.

Kisame's head went back and forth slowly as he nodded agreement with Itachi. "Times were different, back then." Kisame's shore leave stories were legendary, and he'd had a number of inquiries from publishers to record the more memorable ones. Itachi wasn't sure if his friend ever would, though. While some stories were side-splittingly funny, others ridiculous or hair-raisingly strange, just as many chilled the blood or quieted a room subtly by their first minute of retelling. Yes, times were different then; what went unsaid, was: _We never expected to come back from our missions. _

Itachi's sharp eyes catch Kisame's left arm twitching with the memory of the tattoo that remained burned into his shoulder. _Devil's Brigade, Captain._ Scars criss-crossed his broad, worn body, testimony to the many battles he'd served in and returned from, never with as many friends as he'd left with. Those stories and memories were all he had of some of the soldiers he'd served with. The man honoured those soldiers who'd given their lives in order to succeed in spite of impossible odds.

"Life is for the living," Kisame said instead with a shrug. "I'm one of the lucky ones."

Itachi let out a breath, not entirely disagreeing with Kisame, but uncomfortable. "I'm... busy."

"You're too selfless. It's okay to take a bit for yourself, once in a while. That's all."

Itachi arched a brow at him.

"When was the last time you danced with a woman, Itachi? For fun, not that social dance club your cousin dragged you out to."

Itachi remained silent.

"You never took up any offers, working at _Akatsuki_?"

Itachi was still.

"The last time you were in contact with a female who was not an immediate family member?"

Itachi looked out the nearest window in his office, out onto the quad. Memories of a summer car ride burned him.

"People need contact, Itachi. Affection. You're a smart man, you can find the research. Look it up. Cuddle therapy. It works."

Familiar with his friend's battle with post-traumatic stress disorder, he watched Kisame more carefully.

"You think I have PTSD?"

"Just putting it out there," said Kisame, voice neutral, before taking a sip of coffee.

"I am fine," said Itachi.

Kisame shrugged. "How's your brother?"

Itachi's hand froze in the midst of setting down his cup, and he paled as he met Kisame's level eyes.

Ever more perceptive than people gave him credit for, Kisame sensed something in the water and pushed harder. "He cutting off contact with his friends? Your family?"

Itachi swallowed softly, but Kisame continued, careful and relentless. "Has he answered your calls? You're calling him, aren't you? How're things between him and Sakura?"

"They separated. In August. When they parted at the airport," admitted Itachi. "He hasn't spoken to me since then. To my knowledge, they haven't spoken or reconciled since then, either."

Kisame frowned and straightened in his seat, gripping his arm rests tighter.

The dark-haired man looked away. "Sasuke… broke up with Sakura at that time. I didn't catch the full reason, I was late and nearly didn't make it to see him off. But it was right before I arrived. He blames me. Sakura was visibly upset." Itachi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It was… difficult. A bad parting."

His wounded eyes lowered to his feet, his voice lowering. "He said I was no longer his brother."

The room was silent as Itachi leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his hands over his face. He hmph'ed darkly.

"Stubborn. He's always been so stubborn," he spoke into his hands, unable to lift his head to look Kisame in the eyes.

"Cutting off all ties with friends and family, moving to a new place alone, and refusing to reach out to others once he's there. If the kid's not having flashbacks, it's a miracle," grunted Kisame, folding his arms across his broad chest. "His temper was short even before he left, wasn't it?"

Itachi nodded.

Kisame chuckled. "Well, if he can connect with anyone over there, maybe they'll give him a good smack and beat the shittiness out of him, make him deal with it. You Uchiha have never run from your problems; it's in his blood to stand up and fight back, not back down. He needs a friend who won't put up with his BS, that's all."

Itachi let out a low breath. Sakura had been the one to fill that role for his brother. "He's too bull-headed and antagonistic. Someone needs to approach him."

"Do you have any cousins in Oto?"

Shaking his head, Itachi was about to say no, when an idea flickered to mind.

* * *

At the subway terminal platform the next morning on his way to work Sasuke felt eyes on his back. Mindful not to spook the watcher and give away that they were caught, he glanced around for a reflective surface. Spotting an oversize convex mirror hanging above a blind corner across the way, Sasuke kept his head still and looked up and behind him.

To his surprise, the person was less than a food behind him and gave him a placid, "Yo," that startled him into a mild jump. He waved at Sasuke's reflection in the mirror.

"The Hell," muttered Sasuke, moving to the side. How had he not heard the man approach?

As if the greeting alone wasn't enough to unsettle Sasuke, the man's black Bad Badz Maru moped face mask would have done a fine job in its stead. The tall man had a head full of shocking, gravity-defying silver-white hair, held up by a Totoro-print tenugui. A lock fell down over one of his eyes. On his front was strapped a child carrier… bouncing an ancient, equally bandana'd, squash-faced pug.

The stranger lowered his hand to pull something from his military-style cargo vest pocket. "You dropped this."

Eyeing him warily, Sasuke accepted the card, surprised to see it was his transit pass.

"Thank you," he said, genuine gratitude seeping into his tone.

"Careful when you tuck it away after you swipe it. The pocket's zip is loose," said the man, pointing to Sasuke's bag.

Sasuke nodded, seeing exactly what the man meant.

"Thanks."

The man gave him what Sasuke was pretty sure was a smile—his visible eye creased, anyway, and he seemed quite relaxed. Friendly, even.

"You're new to Oto," said the man.

Unsure how much to give away, Sasuke gave a noncommittal, "Hn."

The man's visible eye widened a moment, then creased again with pleasure and he chuckled.

His dog snuffled noisily and the stranger patted Sasuke on the back. "Nice meeting you. Take care of your pass."

The PA system crackled and spat annoyingly at that moment with the arrival of a new train, causing Sasuke to check the board to see if it was his. He turned to nod to the stranger again, but when he looked around, the man had disappeared.

Dark eyes sharply scanned the platform, but there was no trace of the man who'd been inches from him a second before.

Odd. The day was definitely starting off odd.

The train _whoosh-screeched_ to a stop before him. Sasuke shook himself mentally and boarded the gunmetal car, wondering what the rest of the day would bring.

* * *

Sitting astride his refurbished Vespa, Kakashi pulled out his 1998 Sanrio-cased, battered flip-phone and dialed in a number he'd memorized years before.

"Made contact. You described him to a 't'," he chuckled.

"How did he react?"

"Predictably, for an Uchiha. I think we'll be BFFs."

"Don't use teenage girl vocabulary. It's wrong. You toned back the eccentricity, correct? He will be too wary of you, otherwise."

"I was the picture of cute and friendly," said Kakashi, scratching at his face beneath the Bad Badz Maru mask and Totoro-printed tenugui.

"... you sound like a pedophile waiting to happen."

"No worries there. He's of age."

"..."

"Joking," said Kakashi awkwardly, wincing and rather relieved at the distance between himself and the caller. He cleared his throat. "Well, I'll be off. I have work to do."

"Stay away from the high schools," sighed the voice on the other end of the line.

"Of course," lied Kakashi, smiling.

The voice sighed again. "Thank you. I think."

"You'll still talk to them for me, right?"

"Yes. Give me some time. I'll be speaking to her again in a bit."

"Pleasure doing business with you."

"I wish I could say the same."

Kakashi chuckled and signed off, tucking the phone into one of his vest pockets. He turned on the old moped, snapped on Pakkun's helmet, and then put on his riding goggles.

With a roaring _put-put-put_, he pulled out from the subway station parking lot and meandered off to find brunch or something like it.

* * *

Kisame looked over at Itachi as he hung over his desk, head slung low, posture slumped.

"I didn't know you knew Kakashi. The Hatake Kakashi," mused Kisame. "Now he's a living legend."

"He was my commanding officer between stints in military intelligence," said Itachi, finally straightening and giving Kisame a baleful look.

"Tried to recruit you repeatedly, eh?"

"He knew I didn't want to be there," said Itachi. "He helped me get my reserves placement, convincing the higher-ups that it was better to keep me in reserve than lose me altogether."

"That's pretty decent of him."

Itachi gave a level, "Hn."

Kisame grinned. "So, the other rumours about him?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss his… particular tastes."

Kisame nodded, changing tack. "So what's he up to these days?"

"He runs a used book store in Oto. Officially."

Brow arching, Kisame tilted his head knowingly at Itachi, who nodded.

"Well, lucky for us," he said, gravelly voice interested in the rest of the story, but respecting Itachi's need to protect Kakashi's situation.

"He owe you a favour?"

"Several. But I think he's doing this for fun."

"A man like that finds this fun?"

"One does not question Hatake Kakashi and expect clear answers," said Itachi. He looked at the horloge on the wall. "Doesn't your class start soon?"

"Yeah, but it's an upper year course. They're a bunch of laid back kids compared to your firsties," said Kisame, waving off Itachi's concerns. He rose from the seat and nodded to his friend. "Relax. If there's one thing Kakashi's known for, it is pulling off the impossible. And your pissant brother is impossible."

Itachi's expression softened at Kisame's teasing. "Ah."

"Go for a walk, settle your nerves, then get back to marking. You'll feel better," said the large, scarred man as he left.

After a few quiet minutes of reflection (and self-recrimination and guilt), Itachi mentally shook himself. Locking up his laptop, he shrugged on his coat and wrapped his cashmere scarf around his neck to stave off chills. He looked forward to when he could return to his full workout schedule again; the cold-sensitivity he'd suffered from since his surgeries in August was bothersome. He needed activity. A lot of activity. Inactivity was leaving him stressed. Vague confusion fogged his mind momentarily, and he struggled to regain his focus.

Itachi closed his eyes a moment. Kisame was right. His own PTSD was acting up more than he wanted to admit.

He looked at his cane, tucked away down the side of his desk. Mentally he sighed as he picked it up and tucked it under his arm with him. It was unacceptable that he still needed it; but ridiculous to leave it behind if he ended up requiring it during his walk.

Locking his office behind him, he reviewed his day. With a polite nod to his colleagues he passed the elevator, determined to make it down the steps without falling back on his third leg. It was as he exited the building several minutes later, only mildly tired, pleased and more confident in his recovering leg's stability, that he saw her.

His heart gave a strong kick, and he forced his gait to remain smooth and steady. At least around her, please, let him gather his dignity around him like a cloak to protect himself. He cursed the cane tucked into his side, a proclamation of his weakness.

Her hair was tucked inside a scarf that she'd wrapped around her head to ward off the wind, but several pink tresses had escaped and blew around her face. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes bright as she laughed at something her friend, Ino, had said. They walked briskly in the wind, hopping up the steps to the library, the direction he'd originally been intending.

Once she was safely inside the warm building, he turned and walked in the opposite direction.

"Itachi? Hey!" The loud voice was back. A familiar blond, Sasuke's friend, approached him and waved.

"Hn?"

"It's me, Naruto! Sasuke's best friend. How're you doing?"

Surprised at the man's warm greeting, Itachi nodded, tucking his hands deeper into his pockets. "Well. You?"

"Pretty great," he grinned, tucking his phone into his pocket. "I'm meeting Sakura and Ino at the library."

"I believe they just arrived. I won't keep you," said Itachi, nodding to Naruto once more. "Good morning."

"You, too!"

As the blond jogged to the library, Itachi continued on his walk. Odd. Naruto had rarely spoken to him civilly before.

_Heightened levels of awareness, suspicion and paranoia,_ he reminded himself, _were textbook manifestations of PTSD_. He needed to ground himself.

More determined now, he continued on his walk and began a running dialog in his head on his observations. _Leaves on the deciduous trees: bursting with colour due to seasonal change in temperature and photosynthesis. The birds flying in V-formation further support this seasonal transition. There's a hint of woodsmoke in the air; someone has primed their fireplace… _he inhaled deeply, and his eyes flashed with content recognition…_ with apple wood. _

Slowly, peace crept in and blanketed his emotions with calm. By the time he passed by the Grad House, his breathing had evened and he filled his lungs with crisp autumn air. The copse of trees at his right rustled and he looked up when the familiar caw-cawing called out to him.

The campus murder of crows flitted down before him, and Itachi pulled a worn bag of seeds from his pocket.

_Hello, friends._

His eyes swept over each of the birds, recognizing most, and giving them a visual inspection to check their health. He'd felt a kinship with the canny birds since childhood. The flock that roosted in the forest behind his family home were well known to him, and he to them. Even as a child he'd hung feeders for them in the woods themselves so they wouldn't need to leave their shelter during winter and risk exposure to predators. In return, he'd often found bits and bobbles on his windowsill, or later, on the hood of his car. String, shiny bits of metallic decorations, an earring or two.

The mate of the flock leader hopped up to him and nipped at his pant leg, then pecked at his cane. She hopped back from the _chinging _noise before approaching it from another side, and tapping at it again with her beak.

_Brave enough to touch it this time, hn?_

Carefully, very, very carefully, he kneeled, easing himself down as much as he safely could. He was used to wearing much looser trousers to kneel in, during MA practice. It was a different feeling in his suit pants. Assuring himself his balance was sound, he opened the bag and spread some seed out for the birds.

"Don't be greedy," he murmured softly, passing the back of his finger down the sleek head of one particularly friendly bird.

When he'd spent some time with the flock, he rose again to his feet, cheered when the birds calmly hopped to the side to make room for him to pass. They no longer fled from him when he stood, as long as he did so gracefully.

"Be well," he gently bid them, returning to the path that would lead him back to his office.

A flutter of wings met his ears as he walked back.

And when he unlocked his office door, he noticed something glinting by one of his windowsills. Bemused, he set aside his cane. On the outside sill he saw a small pile of treasure. It could only have been left for him by a winged creature, so many storeys up. A shiny rose bead, a shard of mirror, and a screw lay presented to him.

A small smile lit his face as he opened his window and carefully brought the treasures inside, nodding once to the crow that sat in the tree across from his window. It bobbed on its spindly legs before hopping off the branch with a loud caw to return to the flock.

Focus renewed, Itachi set to his marking, then his course planning, then his readings...

* * *

The morning was bright and sunny, if chilly, when Yoko unlocked her doors and flipped her 'Maternity and Me' OPEN sign over to invite customers in for the day. To her surprise, she had a very handsome, curious visitor within a few minutes of opening the cash.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" The tall, somewhat rubenesque woman with graying temples and a kind smile approached him. The doorbell chimed behind him as he closed it against the wind and looked around. Her posture immediately stiffened as she noted his elegant, confident manner, and expensive clothes. _Had he entered the wrong store?..._

He flicked a glance at her before straightening and nodding. "Yes. My wife and I are trying for our first, and wondering what you would recommend for essentials for a young family. We have a crib," he said, before a small, crooked and bashful smile graced his lips, "however my wife is a bit hesitant. I'd like to surprise her with a few things, but not overwhelm or pressure her."

"That's a tall order," smiled Yoko, motioning him to follow her. She relaxed as he tread quietly behind her; in some of the overhanging mirrors, she caught sight of his eyes roaming the store in interest. His eyes zeroed in on a lovely layette set, and softened with a smile. It immediately eased her concerns. _One shouldn't judge by appearances,_ she chided herself.

"I want to show her that I support her and really want this to happen," he continued. "I've always wanted a big family. As she is an only child, it is a bit daunting for her. We're still negotiating specifics." He looked over at Yoko and winked. "I'm working very hard to convince her we need as much time together as possible to make the right decision."

Yoko nodded and brought him to the furniture section of the store. "You know, it's scary because she has to give up so much. But I tell you, she'll come around. Especially with someone like you. It is wonderful to hear about your own excitement, Mr father-to-be! Things have certainly changed from when I was a young girl," laughed the clerk. "I love how much fathers these days want to participate in raising their kids. It really makes me enjoy my job."

Shaking out his long, frizzy ponytail from beneath his now-unbuttoned peacoat, he turned his dark eyes on her. "I am enjoying every part of the process. I've waited a long time for the right woman, and she's everything I've ever wanted. I can't get enough of her," he admitted. "I can't wait for the rest."

"She's lucky to have you," Yoko smiled up at him. "Now, we have some lovely classic-styled rocking chairs over here, and these prints are quite modern, for the cushions. The fabric is machine-washable, dryer-safe, and stain resistant. She'll love sitting and relaxing in it while she's expecting, and once the baby comes, rocking him or her to sleep as she nurses. Oh, sorry, I don't mean to presume. I know the emphasis these days is on nursing, but that's completely up to the two of you."

"I will be assisting with bottles and night feeds," he said immediately, and examined the variety of wooden rocking chairs. "I do hope she nurses. It reinforces the bond…" His voice trailed off wistfully. "Do you have any double-seated, or conjoined rocking chairs? Where we would be able to sit together?"

"Your wife is a very lucky woman," chuckled Yoko. "Absolutely. Follow me! Oh, I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself earlier. My name is Yoko, and I'm the lead staffer here."

He held out a long taper-fingered hand. "Madara. How do you do?"

* * *

The storm outside that night muffled the worst of the screaming.

"No, lean, not roll over," he growled, seizing the young woman's hips and throwing her physically to the side. "Did you not listen the first time?"

She gasped and whimpered, annoying him further. In her terror she dropped the toy doll he'd thrust at her previously and it tumbled to the ground, releasing a robotic wail from its artificial voice box. Frustrated with her lack of participation, he slapped her face. "Can you just do as you're told? It's not that difficult."

Her whole body trembled and shook. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please, please let me go, I'm so sorry—"

"All you had to do was sit here beside me and hold the baby so I could make sure the chair was stable for when my wife and child come home. That's it. Why do you keep shaking and trying to run away? It's a very simple exercise."

"P-please, let me go. I promise I won't tell anyone. I won't tell anyone. I'll wash out the dye in my hair and never change it again, and no one will know, please just let me go—"

With an irritated growl, Madara yanked her closer by the hair and threw her over his lap, making her shriek and cry out. The freshly assembled rocking chair remained stable and balanced even as he flipped up the young woman's skirt and yanked down her panties. She cried out again in panic and tried to wriggle free, but he was much stronger than he looked.

"For someone who claimed to be so intelligent, you are very disappointing. You deserve punishment, I think. Count with me, and at the end, tell me why you deserved it," he instructed. "I hate having to be a disciplinarian, but I suppose I need practice to be firm."

"Stop it stop it stop it no no no no no no please—!"

A harsh smack and she cried out again, her body going taut with each strike. Eventually he was less concerned with the distribution of his strikes and focused on delivering the blows, harder and harder, to vent his own frustration.

By the time the strikes ended, the girl had lost consciousness in his lap.

With a disappointed sigh, Madara tumbled her limp body off his legs and picked up the toy baby instead.

"I know. Mommy's due to come home to us soon. We should clean up first, though," he said aloud, tucking the baby into the crook of his arm and bouncing it in a natural, calming motion. "Sh-sh-shhhhh, it's okay. She was just a place-holder. Daddy's getting everything ready."

He toed the 'placeholder', who now occupied prime real estate on the nursery floor. And who had stopped breathing.

Hmm.

Definitely needed more practice with the discipline. Oops.

With a sigh of defeat, he set the toy baby down in the crib again and dragged the girl by her poorly dyed magenta hair, shaking his head as he made his way outside to the gardening shed.

"I'm going to be late to my class tomorrow morning because of you," mumbled Madara with a frown as he dug into a lucky patch of the still-soft earth in the yard with his faithful shovel. The high fences and distant neighbours ensured every privacy. After a bit of time, he thrust the shovel spade-first in the dirt and stretched his back before pulling a brown manila envelope from his back pocket and slicing off a trophy to put inside.

"For Sakura, with love," he wrote across it, before licking and sealing it shut with a happy sigh.

With that, he kicked the dead girl's body into the shallow grave and filled it in, stamping down the cold earth. Hmph. Looks like he would need to find a new spot for his fillers, if the ground froze much more. Ah well, he'd deal with that later.

Neatly hanging his shovel in the shed once more, Madara whistled a jaunty tune as he returned to the house and tossed the rocking chair's cushions into the high-efficiency washer. He smiled as he opened it up an hour later.

"Not bad. Hn. It really was stain resistant," he said to himself, holding it up in front of him.

A quick bleaching of the nursery floor (again), followed by a refreshing shower, had Madara toweling off his hair and hopping into bed, the envelope set upon his bedside table nestled amongst a lamp, a clock, and a framed photo-collage of Sakura.

"See you in the morning, darling," he said, leaning back against his pillows as his gaze fell upon her smiling visage. Hopefully he'd be able to catch her in the elevator again. His heart beat faster at the thought.

* * *

**To be continued.  
**

**/posted June 2015 for July 2015**

* * *

AN: Please bear in mind: characterizations for this story were based on my interpretations from the anime &amp; manga from 3-4 years ago. (Read: Where Madara and Tobi were implied to be the same crazy character.)

AN: Dudes, you have NO IDEA how hard it has been holding out bringing Kakashi into "Forest Fire". Enter the Copy Nin! Finally. Speaking of Kakashi, thank you to everyone who is contributing to the poll! We have a leader, though it is a close race between the top two. Keep 'em coming!

AN: Please enjoy an early update, wonderful readers. I will be traveling in early/mid-July, so I wanted to make sure you were spoiled first. I will aim for another update later in July to make up for the disruption.

AN: Thank you, pokesimmo, my beta, for putting up with me recently as I battled Google Docs losing 30+ pages of this story. Coincidentally, because of this glitch, there will now be a "Forest Fire III" as I spend some time recovering and soaking up my frustrated tears. Nothing in the story itself is changing; I am being forced to break it up due to the size of the docs involved.

* * *

Reviewer Replies!

I'm tucking these in here this time, since I promised myself I would reply to your wonderful comments this time around.

**NtheRuF**: I believe you requested more Sasuke-centric content. I hope this chapter obliged. We'll be learning more about everyone's background as the story progresses.

**AwaitTheRise**: Thank you! I tried hard to bring more heart out in Chapter 09. Ino is one of my favourite characters to write (tied with Kisame). Ino's a cross between my younger sister and uchiha.s. We'll be learning more about Sasuke as the story goes; still mum as to how he buttons his shirts. (Let's remember that Ino IS a mad genius, though; she can figure out everyone's secrets.) I really enjoyed showing Itachi's kind-side in Chapter 09, yes, and I'm so glad you found it sweet. Seriously, have I published any books? I'm a published academic, however my original fiction has been routinely rejected for 'not fitting into marketable categories', though the publishers 'really loved the stories themselves' and found them quite original. I have written several full-length, original-fiction novels. A modern Robin Hood/Maid Marion tale (called, "Sherwood", with Marion as the lead, of course, as a hacker who rights wrongs and goes 'Anonymous' on those at fault); a fantasy novel about a pirate queen who controls the sea (called, "Under Trouble", based on myths/legends I grew up hearing, when I lived on the coast); and a few more, mostly in the fantasy-style ("Isra", for example). I have Pinterest boards for some of them. I've considered self-publishing, but I don't think I'm good enough to cut it against the legions of far better writers out there; I also don't know how to use Photoshop to make up 'covers' for my stories, so I have no idea how to put them up online. As for when you get rich, I would love and appreciate a dog of my own. All the best to you in your search for fame and fortune! (And thank you for the offer to share with me.)

**NovaCole**: Hello to you, too! I'm so happy you enjoy "Forest Fire"! I worked very hard to make the characters believable in the characterizations I've imagined/interpreted for them. Glad you enjoyed Sakura's character growth, and that Itachi got a little bit of joy, too.

**Uchiha Misaki**: Thanks!

**Kupcake1010**: Hahahaha, thank you! I try really hard to bring out the personalities of the characters. Ino's a fav. I hope you enjoyed seeing more Sasuke in Chapter 10!

**Rayne Destiny**: Thank you!

**Hana-Taisho**: Thank you! Glad you liked that part.

**raye85**: Thank you! Believe me, a part of ME really wants them to just get together and sleep with each other, too, hahahhaha! (That's what half my unpublished fanfic is, that I don't share. Sakura, or Hermione, banging someone. Le sigh.) As for Sakura ending up with Sasuke; I'm still writing the climax to the story in "Forest Fire III".

**tiff**: So glad you enjoyed the humour! Writing humour is one of my stronger points, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the teasing and banter between Kisame, Shisui and Itachi at the hospital. I love writing it.

**96bittersweetblackcat**: I know, right?

**Aijo inu**: Oh yes, definitely denial. But she's had a lot to process, emotionally, so we'll give Sakura a bit of slack for not jumping Itachi's bones quite yet à la desperate rebound hound. And thank you again for your suggestion; I went back and added Gaara to the poll! As for what others see in Itachi when he's around Sakura, I'm pretty sure Kisame and Shisui would be THRILLED to share their observations. They'd probably cheerfully hijack a news broadcast and blab all Itachi's secrets, given half a chance. If they weren't so sure Itachi (or Mikoto) would kill them in their sleep and all. Oh Hell, they'd probably do it for kicks, anyway. They love effing with Itachi and his business. Actually, if they told Mikoto it would get her grandbabies, she'd probably actively enable them.

**toasty**: Thank you! I love writing her and her banter, too. 8D One of my fav scenes with Ino's dialog is coming up during the month of 'November' in the story. You'll probably know it when you read it. You're very welcome for the consistent updates. I tried to write out the majority of the story before I started publishing, to make it easier for me to update consistently. Having said that, this story tops out at over 300 pages at the moment and is still going; I've had to break it up several times now due to it overwhelming Google Docs. Pray for my beta, pokesimmo, who has to constantly hunt down where I've moved my chapters or made additions. You have a fantastic day, too!

**Chachacha**: I try to update monthly! That may change soon, as I've cut out part of this story and decided to break it off into "Forest Fire III". Google Docs failed me one too many times (who knew that a 300+ page document was too big for it to handle?), so I had to break the original story up into different parts to prevent further data loss. With me excising part of the story and relegating it to "Forest Fire III", it means most of the main story (for the story's months of September to February) is written almost in its entirety. So, if I can finish writing December and January, I will begin posting bi-weekly instead of monthly. And the chapters will be longer. (I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.)

**Guest**: Thank you! We will shortly (give it another… 2-3? chapters?) be seeing a lot more interaction between Itachi and Sakura. Remember Itachi's promise to Kisame: he has to be a patient gentleman. As for everyone's ages, with this being AU I adapted them just a bit to reduce the creeper-factor with Itachi's attraction to Sakura. I know I dated older men when I was in high school and university, but it isn't for everyone and it does, more often than not, lead to trouble. So… we'll just wittle that gap down a wee bit in the story to make it debatably more socially acceptable, hahahah! Thank you for the correction as you're absolutely right on the 5-year gap in canon.

**AliceCambio**: Thank you!

**Nana**: They're getting closer! 2-3 more chapters and we get to one of my fav scenes in the story, promise.

**GalacticBatMegan**: Thank you! I had a great time writing the 'near misses' between them here, hahaha!

**animelover5107:** Thank you! Thank you for sympathizing with Sakura and seeing her (socially/emotionally awkward) side of it.

**cherryjubilee**: I'm sure Ino's trying to convince her as we speak.

**Rayne Destiny**: So glad to have you back on board! I hope you enjoy the upcoming chapters. There's plenty to come.

**Phew! That's it for this round. Have a fantastic June, and I'll see you later in July. Cheers!**


	11. Halloween Begins!

**Chapter 11**

AN: This is a work of fiction, and all characters are owned by their original copyright holders. This is written not-for-profit.

* * *

Yoroi sat behind his wide, black desk, perusing Sasuke's report.

"You think these suggestions are feasible?"

Sasuke nodded. "All are aligned within budget parameters and take little training on the part of the manager to implement."

Yoroi's face remained impassive.

"I'll send these over for consideration. In the meantime, I have a new project for you, something a little outside our usual… scope."

He passed a folder to Sasuke. "That folder won't leave this office, by the way. You'll need to memorize it right now."

Sasuke held in his irritation and opened the folder. Inside was a set of blueprints, some typed notes, and… a photograph of a little boy.

"If you were… concerned, let's say, about an employee's dedication to the company," began Yoroi, as he leaned back in his seat, tapping his tented fingertips together. "You knew this employee was invaluable to the company and its direction, his research dangerous in the wrong hands, his emotional state possibly compromised. How would you guarantee his… commitment?"

Willing his hands not to stiffen, for Uchihas did not show weakness, Sasuke leaned back in his seat.

"I would find out why his dedication had changed," he said finally. "It is the most effective way of determining how best to plan and implement an employee retention strategy."

"Good; but how would you do so?"

Uneasiness prickled along the back of Sasuke's neck. "That would depend on the individual and their circumstances. In this case I would sound out his manager and colleagues, determine what the anxiety was about, and then enroll the employee in an EAP program. Also, I would follow-up with the employee in time to see what the progress was, or if there was another underlying issue."

Sasuke scanned the file; it wasn't a typical employee file. There were pages missing, for one thing. There was too much intimate medical detail, including psychological reviews not only on the employee, but then it would be out of order, or as if pages were deliberately removed. Also, there were files on members of his family. His child's own medical history was there. _Pediatric oncology_. Christ, no wonder the man was distracted. He probably just wanted his son to live. Wife already passed away… also cancer.

"In this case, I may also recommend a family counselling session, to see if there were ways the company could support him through his family's difficulties, and to help him focus. If he feels supported, he will be more productive."

Sasuke's felt himself turn to stone as he read the child's medical report.

—_exposure to toxins during project led to development of malignant cancerous cells in pregnant women, young children and developing fetus—_

"The child's condition, as you can see," said Yoroi, breaking into Sasuke's runaway train of disgusted, horrified thoughts, "is an unfortunate consequence of the product's development. However, business is business, and we've spent a lot of time, and money, on this one. We're on a deadline, and it is ticking closer by the day.

"What we need you to do," he continued, "is find a way to get this employee, Kimimaro, back to full production again."

He paused as he reached his hand forward, and Sasuke returned the file.

"He works in the Weapons Development area," said Yoroi. "You have until the end of the month."

Sasuke nodded, and stood. Less than a week.

"Also, and this is off the record, as much of this conversation is, you understand… but."

Yoroi waited until Sasuke turned to meet his eyes. "Use whatever methods you deem… necessary, Sasuke."

"Sir," he agreed, and returned to his office. He was quite proud of himself for not losing his temper. Or his lunch. What the Hell had he gotten himself into. This wasn't a promotion. This was…

Sasuke closed his eyes a moment as the filthy feeling washed over him.

Sick. It was sick.

He had no idea how he was going to force a man, who was watching his only child die from a cause _he'd helped create_, back to work... to continue potentially causing harm through said work.

The remainder of the week was a slow, meandering torture of his own devising.

Each morning wore heavier on his shoulders as he considered ways of salvaging the situation without sacrificing some intangible piece of his soul in the process. His doubts about Oto Corp's corporate integrity had bloomed into full suspicions, mounting disgust and distrust.

His shoulders tight and sore, head lower than usual, Sasuke turned off the light in his office and shuffled to the elevator. How was he supposed to do this? He had one day, no, one night left.

He stared at the carpet at his feet.

_Stop looking at how you would do it; think about how someone else would do it,_ he reasoned with himself.

_What would Ita—Sakura. What would Sakura do, in your place?_

Compassionate leave, extra support, working-from-home.

But that wasn't going to get Kimimaro in the office in the meantime.

But… did he want Kimimaro in the office? The man was probably volatile at this point, feeling stressed and pushed and used by the company.

Walking on autopilot, Sasuke trudged into the elevator, hand blindly pushing the button for the lobby.

Did he want Oto to have any further reach over Kimimaro's son?

A memory of Sakura watching over and helping the children of the Peds ward at the hospital flashed in Sasuke's mind, giving him heart. She would never let anything happen to a child on her watch.

_Maybe that was it,_ he wondered, a new idea taking root.

Eyes brightening, Sasuke straightened and took a deep breath. He'd have to make the call while off company property. There were too many cameras there. Possibly home, too.

Where could he go that he wouldn't be noticed or reported, though?

"Yo," said a familiar voice as Sasuke headed from Oto company property towards the subway station.

Spinning on his heel he saw the stranger from the subway station he'd met a week earlier. This time, the pug sat beside him on the concrete sidewalk. It still wore a bandana… no, it was a cape, Sasuke realized incredulously.

"You hungry?" the man asked.

"Hn?" Where was this guy from? And how did he keep popping up in the weirdest places?

"You owe me for returning your pass," the man pointed out.

He was wearing a Sailor Moon moped mask this time, and a Hello Kitty tenugui, of all things.

"You want me to get you dinner? Are you a ho—Hn." Sasuke bit off his comment before he got himself in trouble. He might be a rude bastard, but he wasn't raised to be hateful. Plus, hadn't this person recognized before that Sasuke was new to the area? Maybe he could give Sasuke a suggestion about where he could make a private call or two.

"Where to?" asked Sasuke.

"There's a steakhouse—"

"No."

The man's shoulders drooped. "There's a half-decent ramen place three blocks that way," the stranger thumbed behind him with lackluster enthusiasm.

Sasuke eyed the pug.

"They're pet-friendly."

_Good enough,_ he thought. "Sure."

"You look like an Uchiha I used to know," said the man as they settled in at the mom &amp; pop ramen shop. They leaned over the front counter and gave their orders to the owner.

"Hn." Sasuke glanced over at the man out of the corner of his eye. "Good manners dictate that one offers one's own name before asking that of another."

"Hatake Kakashi," the man said, offering a hand to Sasuke. "You have family in the forces back in Konoha?"

Shaking Kakashi's hand, Sasuke nodded. "Uchiha Sasuke. Yes, most of the family has served, at one time or another. Did you?"

"Yes, for a bit," said Kakashi. "This is Pakkun, by the way. He's a bit less social than your average pup."

_Pup? _Sasuke again wondered if the man was a bit senile. The dog looked ready to expire as it lounged beneath Kakashi's stool. As if sensing his judgement, Pakkun looked up at Sasuke; his doggy-expression clearly conveyed that he found the Uchiha wanting.

Kakashi stretched his back a bit before finding a more comfortable slouch. "So, what brought you out here to Oto?"

"Work," said Sasuke. He turned the cup of steaming tea around on his paper placemat. "You?" he asked after a moment.

"Needed some space. I grew up in Konoha; I was looking for a change," said Kakashi, fingering his own cup.

"Same," admitted Sasuke. "Things were a bit claustrophobic."

Kakashi looked at Sasuke, nodding in understanding. "I know the feeling."

Sensing a camaraderie with Kakashi, Sasuke debated before admitting more. "I took an internship placement with Oto Corp. I wanted to gain work experience before taking on a business degree, to make some contacts."

"Have you made some contacts?"

Sasuke nodded, taking a sip from his cup. "Hn."

"That's good, I suppose."

"How come you chose Oto?"

"This and that. Some things were a bit more… favourable. Others..."

"You stayed," remarked Sasuke.

Kakashi shrugged. "Here's as good as anywhere else."

"How long since you left?"

"A few years," said Kakashi. He and Sasuke nodded to the ramen stand's owner as he set down two steaming bowls before them.

"Itadakimasu," they said in tandem.

Sasuke snuck looks at Kakashi, who merely gave him a grin (behind his mask).

"No peeking," said Kakashi.

"Hn," huffed Sasuke, turning back to his ramen. Weirdo.

They ate for several minutes before taking a break to speak again.

"What do you do?" asked Sasuke.

"I own a small bookshop. Special interest material."

Up went the arch in Sasuke's brow.

"Special interest material?"

Kakashi assumed a hurt look at the tone of Sasuke's voice. "_Quality_ special interest material."

_Well, if that wasn't the sketchiest thing he'd heard all day…_ Mentally sighing, Sasuke decided his options were limited enough as it was.

"Where?"

Kakashi eyed the young man. "You're of age?"

"Yes."

"Liar. But as long as your ID's a good fake, you're fine," waved off Kakashi, settling back into his ramen. "I'm headed back there after this."

Sasuke nodded, more to himself, and went back to his ramen.

It wasn't quite as bad as he'd been expecting, when they arrived at Kakashi's little shop. A bit worn around the edges and in need of a fresh coat of paint, but it was tidy, neat, organized, and the books, while used, were in good condition.

It was the subject matter of the more prominent section that would have had a less experienced Sasuke's neck burning.

"You're welcome to look around," said Kakashi. "I just need to go relieve my staffer."

"Thanks," said Sasuke. He noted the door in the back. "Is that the washroom?"

Kakashi nodded and disappeared in the back. "Go ahead."

Slipping his personal satellite phone from his pocket, Sasuke locked the bathroom door behind himself. Refusing to look too closely at anything or even focus his eyes, he dialed the number he prayed he remembered correctly.

* * *

Sitting in an empty classroom with a dull and inadequate textbook laid out on the table before him, Madara flipped through a page or two. His chin was propped up on his palm, his elbow on the table by his lukewarm tea. He'd taken a chance, nipping by the campus café in the library's lower level, but Sakura hadn't been there. He'd sulked in the classroom by her locker, waiting for her to pop by, since. His seat was angled nicely to view the outer hallway, where the lockers were kept. She often stopped by on these mornings. He tried not to get his hopes up, but after just leaving her a gift, he was really hoping he got to see her open one soon. It would be… _breathtaking_.

Another few minutes passed, and still no sign of her. Perhaps she wasn't coming that day?

Really, he thought as he flipped another page, and checked the time on his phone. How had Sasuke given up this goddess? She was intelligent, resourceful, kind to her friends, too kind to the Uchihas, he thought with a snort, but that worked in his favour, so he'd allow it. For now. She was strong, she was determined, she was compassionate. All attributes he valued in a mate. She aspired to a career in medicine. How wonderful was that? She was going to help others. If he ever let her out of his sight. Maybe.

_And Sasuke had walked away from her!_ He shook his head and blew his bangs out of his eyes. _Idiot_. He hoped Orochimaru and Kabuto were keeping him busy. He didn't have time to deal with Sasuke's insecurities. Manipulate them at times, absolutely, but really _deal _with them? No. He was far too busy. He was starting a family soon. He had priorities. Oh, and body-disposal. Always the body disposal. It was such a bother to be a responsible host. Which reminded him, damnit, the meteorologists had forecast another cold snap this weekend, so he needed to pre-dig some ditches, or find suitable alternate repositories for them. Hn. _The day needed more hours, _he sighed to himself.

At least Kabuto had been keeping Sasuke busy. He wasn't asking too much of Madara recently, which was nice. Something about how his progress was going with Sakura, and when would he be able to come visit them soon? Madara hadn't like the presumptuous tone of Kabuto's e-mail. He had his job to do, and Kabuto had his, and now that Madara was out and free he no longer had need of Kabuto and his medical 'expertise'. Orochimaru could keep him. He and Oro could enact their mad science experiments on someone else. (Sasuke, hopefully.)

Madara checked his phone when it vibrated; another message from Kabuto. He looked it over, his eyes narrowing.

_What can you tell me about Haruno Sakura? Are you close to her? — YK_

_Nothing. Our partnership ended, K. She is no longer your concern. — UM_

Hn. He hit send and glanced at the hallway one last time.

His eyes widened. There she was.

Sakura's bag sat open at her feet as she knelt to replace some of the books in it. Inside her locker he noted the manila envelopes he'd carefully delivered, piled haphazardly on one of the upper shelves.

His brow furrowed.

She hadn't opened them?

He felt his phone buzz against his hand; another message. He ignored it as he watched his beloved. Should he stop by, introduce himself properly? He bit the inside of his lip as her hand reached up—

Then retracted. She glanced at the door of her locker, her brows pulled together, her lips quirking in a frown. She shook her head, then shut and locked the door. With a careful movement—she must still be healing, he realized—she lifted her bag and walked back to the elevator.

_Perhaps she was saving them, to open them all at once?_

He turned the thought over in his mind, letting his imagination run free as Sakura waited for the lift to return to the basement level to collect her.

_She would be sitting on her bed_, he pictured in his mind. _She would have them set out around her, oldest to newest, and she would open each one and appreciate it, smell it, turn it over in her hands as if she were considering the importance of each gift, each trophy. Each sacrifice in her honour._

His pout warmed with the thought. He wondered what she would be wearing; if she would be thinking of him each time she touched—

"Um, excuse me?"

He glanced up, away from Sakura, irritated at being interrupted.

"Sorry, but I think I forgot my purse under your chair. Could you please pass it to me?"

The young woman bit her lip as she pointed.

Swallowing his aggravation, he leaned to the side and patted beneath his seat, quickly finding the leather bag in question. He offered it up to her, only to be met with her flushed cheeks and her holding out a small paper to him.

"If you're free later, I'd love to get you a coffee. To say thank you," she said, her voice a bit high and nervous. "Um, text me?" She swallowed, nodded to him, and scurried from the room, taking her purse with her tucked under her arm.

He blinked, noting a few students turning away and returning to their own business once again.

The paper had fluttered down to his desk and landed on his phone. Her name, Keiko, and telephone number.

Hn.

He sighed and peered out the door of the class again, but Sakura had already boarded the elevator while he'd been dealing with the flustered 'Keiko'.

Slowly, he covered the paper with his palm and pressed it down, down down, before he crushed it in his fist.

Keiko had distracted him.

She had _interfered_.

* * *

"Lean back a bit, good, right there," said the photographer as the camera clicked several times in quick progression.

Patient and steady as time, Itachi shifted in his seat as requested.

Thankfully Itachi had arrived early and managed to convince the high-end hotel reception that they required a location with lots of natural light for their interview, and that he'd like to show off their lovely establishment, he'd heard so much positive feedback about it from his colleagues…

It didn't hurt that he was wearing one of his best-cut suits, and had suffered his mother 'fixing' his hair prior to the interview, at her insistence, when he stopped by his family home to collect a tie he'd forgotten, months prior. The male clerk manning the front desk had blushed, immediately charmed by Itachi's smooth, soothing tones.

Which was how the interviewer, photographer, and Itachi were ushered into one of the hotel's smaller, though generously plush and lovely, meeting rooms.

He hadn't missed the slight pout the reporter hadn't quite stifled before turning bright eyes on him at the announcement of the change in venue. It amused him. No, Itachi was not joining them in their hotel room. Ever.

"Were you able to bring your military uniform?" asked the photographer hopefully.

"No."

The reporter nearly sulked at that, and Itachi withheld a sigh. The interview itself had ended, and the photographer had used the last few minutes to snap some professional shots of Itachi.

"You do brooding really well. Do you model? I have a few contacts who'd kill for a face like yours with their marketing gigs."

"No."

More flashes and camera clicks. "You should. I know a few people who'd love to work with someone of your presence. Can I pass your name along for you?"

"No."

"Really? It's pretty lucrative. And you pull off cultured like a pro. Would you be willing to do nudes?"

"_No."_

He was never telling Kisame about this one, ever. He'd be insufferable about it.

Speaking of. Itachi's eyes glanced at the clock on the thermostat by the door and figured his friend wouldn't mind him showing up early.

"If there's nothing else, I thank you for your time. I have another appointment shortly," he said, standing and offering his hand to the photographer, who stood closer of the two.

"Do you mind if we ask you a few more questions? Off the record?" asked the reporter, a touch desperate.

"Yes," he said, collecting his coat and sliding his notes into his portfolio bag. He nodded to them. "I look forward to the publication. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Are you free for dinner later? Um, are you seeing anyone?"

"Good day," said Itachi, giving them both a professional, if cold, dismissal.

Back in his car, he maintained the Cold Bastard persona a bit longer, until he was well on the road to Kisame's. Finally he let out a low breath and relaxed his shoulders. Stretching his neck a bit, side to side, he wondered what was wrong with some individuals. Either they were desperately throwing themselves at him, or they were playing things too cool around him. No one acted… normal.

He sighed. Well, one person did.

With efficient control he turned onto Kisame's street and parked in his friend's driveway. Already he felt himself mellowing at the sight of carved pumpkins piled on the front stoop, random mismatched Halloween decorations clapped to the garage and front doors, and the pile of autumn leaves the wind had blown back across the lawn.

"Uncle Itachi!" he heard Tomo exclaim, jumping up and waving at him from the front porch. The kindergartener was sporting a cheek-splitting grin and bright eyes, and Itachi wondered again how Kisame had been so fortunate in his life to create such joy. "You're early! Did you miss us? How do you feel? Are you all better now? You're still coming trick-or-treating, right? I'm so excited!"

Swallowing a laugh, Itachi allowed himself a small smile as he reached out to ruffle Tomo's hair. "I am well. Thank you for the welcome. Is everyone inside?"

"Yep!" Tomo grabbed Itachi's hand and dragged him towards the front door. "Mom and Dad said we could get changed after we have supper. Are you going to eat with us?"

"If your Mother made extra, I would love to join you," said Itachi as they climbed the porch steps.

It was some instinct he'd long learned to heed that had him suddenly yanking Tomo to him and wrapping his body around the small child when he heard the faint extra _click _as the door swung open inwards. He threw them forward, and it was with more strain than he'd intended to twist them both away from the bottom stairs that began just inside the front door.

Above them something splashed over and poured down on the ground where he and Tomo had been about to pass through.

Not taking in exactly what it was quite yet, Itachi was already spinning around, still pinning Tomo to his chest, surveilling the rest of the room with wide eyes as his heart raced inside him.

"Tomo, are you alright?" asked Itachi, worried he'd hurt the small child.

"Holy sh—!"

"Yuji! Language!" Kisame's voice boomed from the kitchen.

"Damn. I thought we'd get him that time," huffed Makoto, arms crossed as she watched from the top of the stairs.

A little breathless, Tomo looked up at Itachi with wild, innocent eyes. "You're really fast, Uncle Itachi." His gentle voice trembled a bit, his small body the same.

"Are you hurt," repeated Itachi, pulling Tomo a little away, only to find the youngster had dug his hands into Itachi's suit like a kitten's claws. Itachi sighed and patted the child's head, checking him over for bumps and bruises. He'd just have to wait until Tomo calmed before he peeled him off.

"What has your father told you about pranking your younger siblings," sighed Itachi, glancing over at Yuji and Makoto.

"Technically, it wasn't aimed at Tomo," said Yuji. He was watching his youngest sibling with concern, and Itachi with awe.

"Don't get caught," said Makoto. She always was more direct than her other siblings.

"Sorry Tomo," said Yuji, and Makoto nodded. "We didn't mean to catch you with it. I thought you were upstairs."

"S'okay," said Tomo, still shaking slightly. Then he perked up a bit. "Did we look cool?"

"Super cool," assured Yuji, Makoto nodding again.

"Got it all!" added Dake, rising from where he'd been half-hidden behind a shoe rack and holding up a camera. "Awesome job, Uncle Itachi! You're like a ninja!"

Itachi's eyebrow rose as he took in the kids… and the spreading mess of glitter bomb that had spilled all across the front entrance.

"That is a little overkill," he remarked.

"Dad said he wasn't sure if two kilos of glitter would be enough, so Mom suggested he get another five kilos from the craft store."

"The hardest part was the release mechanism. We didn't want to risk it not opening right and then the pressurized canister falling on you."

Itachi let out a low breath. It was thoughtful of them. Nearly ten kilos, straight to his head and or neck, may have killed him. "Do you still have the spray-glue adhesive I got you?"

Makoto nodded, her normally placid eyes sparkling.

Itachi tilted his head, and she took off to get it. He stood, still clutching Tomo to him, and looked down at the glitter piled on the front door welcome rug.

"You have not lit your pumpkins yet, correct?"

Yuji shook his head, and Dake came to take a close-up shot of the mess.

"Shall we put this glitter to use?"

"Oh yeah!" said Tomo, pumping his little fist as he finally let go of part of Itachi's suit.

Itachi nodded. "Put on your shoes and coats," he said, setting Tomo down.

With that, the children assembled their pumpkins, sprayed them with the aerosol adhesive, and then rolled them in the glitter.

"This is awesome~!" sang Tomo, practically dancing as Itachi helped him rock and roll his pumpkin in the sparkling mess. "We're going to have the best pumpkins ever! Dake! Hey, Dake, doesn't this look cool?"

"Yes, Tomo, it looks cool," said Dake, tiring a bit of his little brother's enthusiasm.

"Kids! Supper! Itachi, you can clean up."

The kids whined as they heard their father calling them from the kitchen, and Kisame appeared in the doorway, still wiping his hands on a towel, his wife's pink apron tied around his neck. "No complaining," he growled at them, and the three youngest scooted a bit faster.

"I'll help you," offered Yuji, kneeling back down beside Itachi with a dust pan and a large glass jar to collect the leftover glitter.

"Go eat," said Itachi as the other children left to follow their father.

Yuji shook his head, focusing on the carpet.

Itachi nodded once and carefully moved the pumpkins back outside to the stoop, spreading them out a bit so they wouldn't stick to each other. They were the equivalent of Halloween disco balls. If he'd still been Tomo's age, he would have thought they were the coolest things ever, too. For a second Itachi wanted to be young again, and to share it with Sasuke, who had been so much like Tomo. Perhaps not quite as chatty, but full of life and love.

He swallowed his sigh and arranged the pumpkins neatly before returning to Yuji.

"Hn?" he asked the young man. "Everything all right?"

"Good. Sort of. Not really," he admitted, his movements fidgety, glitter spilling out over the side of his dust pan. "Do you have a minute?"

Itachi looked him over and nodded.

"It's about the party tonight. My friend said his parents were going to be there, and he's invited lots of people, but then I heard him tell someone else that his parents were only going to be there for a bit before they left, too, and that we wouldn't have any annoying adults there after that."

Itachi continued tidying up the glitter, listening to Yuji.

"And, there's a girl going who likes me, and it's just I don't like her, and she's a bit bossy, and… I don't want to be a dick to her, but I don't know how to get rid of her, and I don't want to get called out for being a…" His voice trailed off as he sighed. "Don't tell my Dad, please."

Itachi nodded.

"What do I do?"

"Short term or long term?"

"Both?"

Itachi swept more glitter into the jar. "Do any of your friends like her?"

"Yeah," said Yuji after a moment's thought.

"If she approaches you tonight, and if she is… forward… let her know you think she is a good person, but you aren't interested in her. However, you'd be happy to introduce her to someone you think would be a better match."

"Isn't that breaking his trust? Even though I'm not specifically saying he likes her, it is sort of… misleading."

"Does it get him what he wants?"

Yuji thought about it. "Yeah. If she goes for him."

"Would it make him happier?"

"Yeah."

"Will it make you happier?"

"Yeah."

"Will it make her happier?"

"Hopefully. I just don't want her cornering me."

Itachi swallowed a chuckle.

"If she is quite confident, redirect her gently and clearly. You never know when the person you turn away now will be the one turning you away later," said Itachi.

"Is that what happened with you, and Sakura, and your brother?"

Itachi blinked, looking up at Yuji and meeting his eyes.

"Did you turn Sakura away, and then she started dating Sasuke? Or, did Sasuke turn her away and then you started dating her? You like her, don't you?"

Itachi wet his tongue as he considered his answer.

Yuji went on. "Because I have pictures from this summer; I sent you some. Except for the one of Sasuke and Sakura having a nap together on the couch after the scavenger hunt, I didn't send you that one. I… I know how you look at her, and I think I understand, but I don't understand."

"Yuji," said Itachi, his voice level. "That is a complicated, grown-up situation. You needn't worry about it. It takes time to sort things out. Everything is okay."

"Do you two share her?"

Before Itachi could reply, Kisame called to them. "Yuji, suppertime. Itachi, a word."

Yuji shot Itachi an _I'm-so-sorry!_-look before he hurried to the kitchen as Kisame's heavy, slow footsteps approached them, stopping just beside Itachi's feet. Itachi swept the last of the spare glitter into the jar and neatly capped it before standing and offering it to Kisame.

"I know," said Itachi, needlessly, knowing that Kisame was about to say. "I cut off the questions."

"My kids, Itachi. My kids recognize the situation for being unusual."

"Yes," agreed Itachi. He didn't look away from Kisame and both men were tense. Neither wanted to have the conversation at that moment. "Your children are intelligent. They must take after their mother."

Kisame stared at Itachi, hands on his hips, before shaking his head. "That kid's too smart for his own good."

Itachi nodded once. He had done nothing wrong, with how he handled Yuji. There was nothing to apologize for; yet he felt a film of guilt coating their interaction.

Kisame let out a low breath. "You're working at _Akatsuki _tonight. I just saw the neighbours turning their lights on. You can take Tomo and Dake once they finish their supper, and then head to work. I'll talk to Yuji and remind him that your situation is for you to understand, and not his business right now."

Itachi nodded again. Kisame's children, Kisame's decision. He respected his friend, especially his say when it came to his family.

As they had expected, Tomo and Dake rushed through their supper before hopping around into their boots and hats. (During their meal, Itachi had slipped reflective tape on them in subtle patches. He would protect his little 'nephews' with his life; he wouldn't leave anything to chance.)

As they ran out the door, pillowcases in hand, they whooped and hollered in excitement. It made a small smile flit across Itachi's face, and he bid Kisame's older children, Yuji and Makoto, goodnight. He gave Yuji a look, which the other boy nodded at, before following the two youngest out into the darkening night.

With Tomo's small, mittened hand tucked in his own and trailing a well-loved wooden wagon behind them from his other hand, they followed Dake to several doors, politely calling out rhymes for candy and thanking the hosts after each mission accomplished. Itachi quickly got used to the double-takes of the homeowners as they spied him with the young children, internally sighing when some stared at him while others tripped over their words, asking if he was new to the neighbourhood. And if he needed anything, to please not be a stranger.

Damn. He was still wearing his good suit. He shook his head. It often had this affect on people.

But the little group sallied on, the boys excitedly collecting candy until their bags were full to bursting. Itachi dutifully traded their full bags for new ones, tying up and settling the ones with stressed seams in the wagon he'd decorated with several glowsticks. And glitter. If Lady Gaga had had a wooden wagon, this would be it. He couldn't wait to hear about Kisame's reaction when he next saw it in the light.

Dake tugged on Itachi's hand as they walked; Tomo had tucked himself under a blanket in the wagon for a short rest, his shorter legs tiring already in the chilly night air.

"Hn?"

"Tomo wanted to know if your brother was around. He wants to invite him over as a babysitter to draw together," said Dake, holding Itachi's hand.

Itachi shook his head. "Sasuke is away working right now. I will ask him when he returns. I am sure he would be happy to come see you all."

Dake nodded. "How about Sakura? She was really fun. And nice. And pretty," he said, blushing and ducking his head into his scarf. "For a girl."

"Ah. I do see Sakura sometimes. I will ask her when she is free. She had a very good time with you this summer. She would love to see you again," assured Itachi, giving Dake's hand a small squeeze. Dake squeezed back and gave Itachi a wide smile.

"Cool," the boy said. "Hey, we're almost at the big house! Tomo! Tomo, you ready?"

"Yeah," yawned Tomo, rubbing his eyes. "'m ready," he mumbled.

"Hn. We will work on the route back after this house," said Itachi, noting how both boys' shoulders were slumping, their feet slower, dragging.

"Not tired," pouted Tomo, pulling himself over the side of the wagon. He landed unsteadily, but pulled himself up just fine. He yawned again as he accepted his pillowcase from Itachi. "Thanks, Uncle 'tachi," he said, stumbling after his big brother.

"Hn."

Shaking his head with a muted smile, Itachi followed them up to the door, still tugging the candy-laden wagon behind him.

Forty minutes later he carried a sleeping Tomo into his home, slung over his shoulder, the little boy's drool already leaving a trail down his two thousand dollar suit sleeve. Itachi smiled softly at Kisame's wife as Dake stumbled in after them, rubbing his eyes and letting loose a jaw-cracking yawn.

"Thank you again, Itachi."

"My pleasure," he replied, helping remove Dake's boots and coat as the boy swayed on his feet. "Would you like a hand?"

She waved him off. "I have everything from here. You get to work. Thank you so much. It was so nice for us to have all our bases covered tonight."

With several more pleasantries exchanged he returned to his Audi and drove to _Akatsuki_. He had a long shift ahead of him. Hopefully Konan had ordered a supper in for the staff again.

* * *

It was done.

His hair blowing in the strong wings the chopper's rotors kicked up, Sasuke covered his eyes and watched the med-transfer helicopter take off, its precious cargo safely tucked inside on its way to Konoha General.

There was no way Oto Corp would ever get their hands on the child, now. They could do nothing further to him, and he would be safe in the hands of his family.

As the chopper cleared the hospital's roof, Sasuke heard the heavy metal roof door fly open with a bang. Turning, he saw a young man, eyes wide and long white hair wild scramble onto the tarmac.

"My son!" he cried, coughing and struggling to stand against the strong winds. "My son!"

Recognizing the pair of red dots over the man's brows, Sasuke approached Kimimaro.

"I've ensured he's been placed in the best care that can be provided to him. The medical facilities and security there are the best in the Five Nations," said Sasuke, his hands raised in a peaceful gesture. "Oto Corp will no longer have any sway over him or his care. Trust me."

Kimimaro turned his overbright eyes on Sasuke and began laughing incredulously.

"You… you just took him?" He lifted a trembling hand to his tattooed forehead, unable to comprehend the situation. "You took him. He's all I had left. Everything."

"And he's going to be safe, now. We're doing everything we can—"

Kimimaro shook his head, the strange, unusual laughter bubbling up again.

"—this leaves you free to focus on your work. I've also arranged for an extended personal leave for you, once it is completed, so you can spend as much time as you need with your son as he recovers. He has good chances, in Konoha," continued Sasuke.

But there was something unsettling in the way Kimimaro looked at him then, still giggling, but now with tears streaming down his pale, pale face.

"You took him. I'll never see him again," he murmured, his trembling hand falling lifeless to his side. "Never again. I didn't even get to say goodbye," he said, his voice breaking.

Brow furrowing, Sasuke swallowed over his uneasiness. "This is strictly temporary, Kimimaro. We—"

Kimimaro's bark of cold, bitter laughter stopped Sasuke mid-sentence.

"Temporary," he murmured, shaking his head. He looked at Sasuke then, and Sasuke noticed for the first time the unusual pallor to Kimimaro's cheeks wasn't natural. It was sickly. His inability to stand properly, his hunching frame. His continued trembling.

The scars and bruises up and down his wrists and arms. Bruises from intravenous drug treatments; scars from surgeries.

"I have less than eight weeks to live, Uchiha Sasuke," said Kimimaro. "My son's diagnosis was no different. I'll be gone before I'll ever see him again."

He tried to straighten and leaned against the wall of the elevator shaft casing.

"You're dying," realized Sasuke aloud. The missing medical report pages, the random notes that had been removed from his file. This had been deliberately hidden from Sasuke. Yoroi had withheld the information from him.

"Of the same cancer that took my wife, and is taking my son," said Kimimaro. His hands hung limply at his sides as he slid down the wall, landing in a small heap on the filthy roof. "He was all I had left."

"I swear, he's going to be given everything he could possibly need or want, we're sparing no expense," said Sasuke, forcing down his racing pulse, his mounting anxiety, his churning stomach.

Kimimaro looked up at Sasuke with haunted eyes. "I gave everything I had to Orochimaru, Uchiha. You took the only thing I still held dear." He blinked, slowly, watching the helicopter disappear in the distance. "And at the end of the day, we can't even protect what's most precious to us. What we've been fighting and working for."

A light tingling around his fingers warned Sasuke, but already his heart was beating erratically as the sounds of gunfire and his brother's pained shout resonated inside his head. _Not now, _he begged himself, _not now. _But he was already trapped in the flashback, his emotions flying out of his control.

"We've become monsters for Oto, haven't we?" Kimimaro's voice floated into Sasuke's hearing, but he wasn't taking things in as he should. He couldn't. His ears buzzed, his focus dipped. He was emotionally overwhelmed and flirted dangerously with the seductive, cruel voice that whispered to him in his own mind. Awful, wrong things. Things he could never confess to Sakura.

"There's nothing left for me. I'm building a weapon to kill others, and it is killing me. How fitting," said Kimimaro. As the helicopter blinked out of sight on the horizon, he nodded. "Back to work." His voice was odd, and had Sasuke been able to connect properly to himself in that situation, he would have realized that Kimimaro was just as disconnected from reality as he was.

But he didn't.

He just nodded, clenching and unclenching his fingers as he tried not to tremble and give himself away.

"Goodbye, my fellow demon," said Kimimaro as he swayed to his feet and shuffled through the door back into the bowels of the Hell that was their office, Oto Corp. "May you, too, be sealed with a curse, like the rest of us."

Failing to calm his breathing, Sasuke felt his gorge rise and turned quickly over the side of the building, pitching his lunch down a drainage pipe.

After a brief stop in the men's room a quarter-hour later to splash water on his face, rinsing his mouth, and tidy himself once more Sasuke made his way to his private office. Luck still wasn't with him that day, however, as Karin and Sui waited just outside his department for him.

"U-chi-chi-chiha!"

"Sasuke!"

"You're coming tonight, right?"

Hollowing inside, Sasuke just looked at them.

"The Halloween party. At the High Regency Hotel and Ballroom. You don't need to dress up; I'm not really doing much. Karin'll be her usual whore self—ooph."

"What he means is that we'd love you to come with us! It's a company-sponsored night out. Free booze, schmoozing, lots of fun, give-aways, and stuff like that. You should at least put your nose in for a bit. Speaking of, Sasuke, are you feeling okay? You look a little pale," said Karin, lifting a hand to his forehead.

He caught her wrist and lowered it away from him. No touch. Not yet. Not when he was so… filthy.

"What time?" he asked.

"Seven thirty, eight-ish," said Sui. The tall man leaned towards Sasuke, his brows knit. "She wasn't kidding. You're looking a little off, mate. All good?"

"Fine," he said, nodding tiredly. "I will see you there. I have work to do."

"Okay," said Karin, her lips pressing together. She brightened. "I'll save you a good seat. I know you're not the dancing type," she said with a wink at him.

He nodded. "Hn."

They finally left, and he entered his office, closing the door behind him.

He hadn't been there five minutes when Yoroi knocked on the door, opening it without waiting for Sasuke's answer.

"Kimimaro's back in the lab," he announced.

Sasuke turned to look at his supervisor and nodded. He wanted to be sick all over again.

"Good job, Uchiha. I knew you were Oto material. You're coming tonight, right?"

_No,_ he wanted to say. He didn't want anything to do with this company anymore. "Hn."

Yoroi smirked. "Plenty of people took notice when Kimimaro showed up in the lab again, and your name's going around. Nice work."

And he was being praised for this? "Hn."

"Keep it up, Uchiha. Oto needs more loyal employees like you. By the way, your next project is on your desk. You get to keep the folder this time, but it can't leave the office."

With a nod, Yoroi pulled the door closed behind him.

Finally alone, Sasuke sank into his seat and turned on his computer.

Sakura, his gorgeous goddess of light surrounded by white blooming flowers from his villa on that special summery day, met his sight as soon as it warmed up.

He snapped it shut without a second thought. With a gulp and a near heave of his stomach he dropped his head in his hands, elbows digging into his desk.

"_We've become monsters for Oto, haven't we?" _Kimimaro's voice repeated in his head, over and over.

_...What have I done?_

* * *

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Reader Reviews!**

**ThatPageantGirl**: Yay! Thank you, that's a huge compliment! (And OMG, I know. I just want to have them pin each other down on trampoline or something sometimes, hahahaha!)

**Ukatoemina**: Holy crow! You blessed me with your bounty! Let me see if I can reply to your many wonderful comments. So glad you're enjoying Mikoto; she's a joy to write (in this AU). And yes, there is no doubt witchcraft involved when it comes to the Uchiha Matriarch. As for the NumberOneSon thing, yes, there's a nickname for Sasuke, too. One he doesn't want shared, ever. (I'll have to work it in.) 8D As for Sakura and the envelopes, we learn a bit more about them later; she's just busy at the moment. As for Itachi and Kisame and Sakura, yes, Itachi was jealous. And yes, Kisame is one of my favs to write in this story. (Hope you enjoyed a peek at the kids again this chapter!) Kisame is my spirit animal. I wish I was him. I spent years in Martial Arts and let me tell you, a well-built man in hakama is a personal weakness of mine. (I loved my years in kendo. So, so much.) As for Madara / Sakura / the elevator: He didn't make a move for a few reasons; partly, it just wasn't the right time; it was too public; he wasn't ready yet. We're getting there. (Also, good eyes! Yes, it was Hinata who was visiting Naruto.) Thank you!

**Kupcake1010**: YES! We need more Kakashi like we need more cowbell!

**Sharinganintheey**: Hahahaha, I am not making any promises with NaruSasu, however there are plenty of different hints of things in this story, depending on how one reads them. Yes, it would definitely make things easier… but since when has this story been easy? ;) Thank you! More drama is coming, promise!

**An1meOtome**: There was a lot more of Itachi in this chapter! (And we'll have a VERY large dose of him next time, too!)

**NovaCole**: Thank you so much! 3 Also, you're totally making me want to write a little side-story (maybe time for another omake?) about Shisui and Kisame ganging up on Itachi 'for his own good' (read: their own amusement at his expense). 8D Lots more about Sasuke in this chapter as he deals with his own challenges and starts questioning things. As for Ino, she's amazing; and she's not entirely 'fictional'… My characterization of her is based on a mix of two real individuals (which helps me 'fill out' her personality a bit more fully). You're more than welcome to adopt Ino for your own, as needed. ;) We'll start a club with 'WWID' (What Would Ino Do?) bracelets. Some kind of accessory, anyway, with it being Ino. Happy reading!

**AwaitTheRise**: I love that you liked that scene (and Naruto)! I think friendships (not just romantic relationships) need more positive cred, and I tried to show guys rely on each other, too, to feel good about themselves (without tearing each other down). We've seen BAMF!Ino bolstering Sakura for a few chapters now; I think Sasuke needed a reminder he's important, too. (Even if he did make a bonehead decision. Maybe it'll remind him of what kind of man he is trying to become.) Hahahaha, I'm getting lots of feedback that there's definitely a demographic here who'd like to see some SasuNaru! No promises there; I'm not sure this story can handle many more entanglements. But we'll see. As for Kisame, he's here to keep it real for Itachi, hehehe. For the Madara and Kakashi sections, you're welcome. Winkwink, nudgenudge. (For Kakashi, esp. He's one of my favs from the Naruto-verse.) Regarding my Pinterest: I have listed my username in my profile, since this website has removed all my outgoing links. (Eep! Sorry, I hadn't known until you pointed it out!) You're welcome to come take a look at the Pinterest board for "Forest Fire II"! I tried not to post too many spoilers, but there are a few hints in it. And some amazing fanart; I love looking at fanart. I'm so jealous of artists' talent!

**Wolfy-sama:** Hahahah, yes, he is, isn't he?

**NixxyNoxxy**: You're very welcome! I'm thrilled you liked him!

**ElevatedJewel**: Ooooh, you picked up on that, did you? I'm impressed. No, no one in this story is perfect, and that is quite deliberate. Everyone makes bad decisions, and running from them doesn't fix anything, and it is a really hard lesson to learn. Sasuke's not the only one learning (or avoiding) things as things go along. Good catch about love not being a magical fix-all, too. My thanks to you, for such a thoughtful review, and to the reader who recc'ed this story to you! Hope you enjoy the upcoming chapters, too!

**Animelover5107**: I'm reading that many people are finding Madara creepy: mission accomplished! But seriously, I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you! I had a wonderful visit and time travelling through Canada and the US. It was a very busy week, and I'm very fortunate I remembered how to drive an automatic (after only driving standard transmission, switching to only 2 pedals was a bit harrowing for the first 100 or so kilometres, hahaha!).

**GalacticBatMegan**: YAY! And yes, Itachi is a mother hen and still worries about his little brother; and is swamped with guilt nearly every moment of his day, but he's still trying to make things right. He just wants peace with everyone. I'm so happy you're enjoying all the different characters (esp Kakashi and Madara), and I hope this update was a good one. Thank you for your kind comments, and yes, I had a fantastic trip. It was so cute when my dad got up at 5am to make me breakfast, my last day before we set off. It's how he shows he cares.

**Hana-Taisho**: Thank you! Oh yes, the juicy Madara parts are coming! We shall be seeing more of them~! As for how and why he is in class, I'll make that a bit clearer in a later chapter. (Thank you for reminding me to add that section back in—I moved it around and need to wiggle it back in.) I love the little convo between Naruto and Sasuke, too; it's also a good contrast to show other things that will be happening soon…

**Guest**: Your passion for SasuSaku shall be appeased! There's still lots of story to come, promise!

**AliceCambio**: Hahaha, so glad you enjoyed Kakashi's intro! It was a lot of fun to write!

**Helennnn**: I've seen the mountains you're scaling, woman, and I tip my hat to you! Have your computer woes alleviated any? Did you speak to DropBox? I know it isn't much, but I hope updates here are cheering you up a bit as you march on. 8) So glad you enjoyed seeing Kakashi join us (finally)! Keep your eyes out for next chapter; Halloween is coming and ItaSaku will feature more prominently. (Promise!) Thank you!

* * *

**AN: I'm crossing my fingers the formatting holds this time. Thank you all for your WONDERFUL feedback! I hope you've had a fantastic July. I will be posting the next regular update sometime in early August. I can't wait: one of my favourite scenes is coming! The poll is still running in my profile, for those who are interested. Also, for any who feel Sasuke may be getting a bit shafted, expect a few SasuSaku pieces shortly in celebration of SasuSaku month on tumblr. One of which kind of seriously got out of control... (Check back on July 29 for the SasuSaku Superheroes AU!) Lots of love to you all. See you in August, and happy reading! **


	12. Halloween, Part II!

**Chapter 12  
**

* * *

_**Halloween**_

Nursing his rum and coke, Sasuke leaned over the balcony's marble railing and idly watched the crowds of his fellow employees dancing, talking, and carrying on on the ballroom floor beneath him. He glanced up and nodded as another group of congratulatory toadies patted him on the back and raised their glasses to him. Several of his superiors, and several more of their superiors, had been by to let him know they had heard good things about him and looked forward to more excellent work. Also, was he interested in meeting any of their daughters? They were joining them that night.

Hence why he had taken to moving about the room's periphery. He was not interested in any of their praise. Or commendations. Least of all their daughters.

He felt his phone, his private one, buzz in his pocket and lifted it out to check the screen.

_Incoming photo-text from: Ino._

Brow twitching, immediately he entered his password and called it up, and his breath caught.

His face and body stilled, and he just... stared.

It was Sakura.

She was beautiful; her long hair pinned up but for a few loose tendrils framing her face, her make-up light and fresh, her Chinese robe (_what Dynasty was it? because he was now a devoted fan_) colourful and immaculate. She and Ino had dressed up for Halloween, wherever they were going. Likely a loud club, knowing Ino.

But her smile.

Her gods-blessed gorgeous smile.

His heart ached.

She was the reason he worked so hard at Oto Corp. She was the reason he wanted to be a better, stronger, greater man. She was the reason he couldn't look at himself in a mirror since that afternoon on the helipad. She was his moral compass, his guiding star, his only regret—yes, he could admit, now, that he regretted what he'd done in the airport that day. He could have sat down and talked with her at any time and cleared the air and instead he had let his insecurities assail and bury him. And worst of all, hurt her in the process.

What would she think of him, now?

Would she be repulsed? Disgusted? Ashamed?

Would she turn away from him?

What could he do, though? Could he fix it? Could he do anything to overcome his actions at Oto Corp?

His dark eyes remained on her smile, her bright eyes, her warm cheeks, as he no longer noticed what happened around him at the company Halloween party.

Disgusted with himself, he looked at his glass and set it aside. Sakura would never have been proud of him for drowning himself in spirits to avoid things. The way she'd lit up, glowing, when she'd figured out he was holding back on his drinking that summer out of his need to protect her and keep himself in check reminded him that he needed to respect himself more.

_This isn't you. _

_This isn't the Sasuke she fell in love with._

_The one she's (hopefully) _still _in love with._

_You can fix this,_ he told himself. He stared at the photo unwaveringly before straightening his back. Yes, he could do this.

He just had to figure out how.

_Believe in me, _he willed of her from across the miles. _Please, believe in me, Sakura._

So wrapped up in his thoughts was he that he missed the looks some of his superiors threw his way at his unusual behaviour. Uchiha Sasuke was the only young person at their company who normally wasn't wrapped up with their mobile phone. It was quite unusual to see him with his out.

Which was why Sasuke didn't notice Orochimaru and Kabuto surveilling him, or Orochimaru pulling Karin aside for a private meeting in a nearby meeting room, just off the balcony's main corridor.

"Trouble in paradise?" Kabuto smiled his empty smile at Karin.

Feet too close together, Karin wrapped her arms around her middle and looked at her two bosses. "He looked unwell earlier." She shrugged. "Maybe he had other plans. He's been busy."

"You're close to him, though, right? You'll let us know what's bothering him?"

"We have much riding on his successes," added Orochimaru, his expression oily, vile. "Remember, Oto Corp rewards those who strive and whom are loyal, Karin."

She nodded.

"Distract him from his problems, keep him on track with his work. That's what you're there for. If you can't do that…" Kabuto smiled at her again. "Well, we'd have to find a more suitable role for you."

"Get him to open up to you. Find out more about this girlfriend of his. Kabuto, find out more about who she is and get Karin a picture of her. Perhaps he needs additional motivation," mused Orochimaru. "You aren't opposed to adapting your appearance, are you?"

Her heart and stomach sinking, Karin shook her head. "No, sirs," she said quietly.

Orochimaru nodded and reached for the door. "Good girl. We did take your suggestion under advisement, by the way. He's been given another high-profile project with more direct client contact. He thrived on the challenge of the last one, didn't he? And he seems to enjoy the high regard everyone has for him. You have keen observation skills, my dear."

Orochimaru then left Kabuto and Karin alone. Kabuto arched his brows at her. "Any questions?"

She shook her head, her lips pressed together.

"See if you can get a hold of that phone of his. It isn't company-issued," said Kabuto, sliding her a side-eyed look as he reached the door, Karin right behind him. "You'll let me know if there's anything personal that needs to be shared, won't you?"

"Yes, sir."

He leaned towards her and touched her shoulder, then ran his hand down her arm to her slender elbow. His grip tightened. "Just don't get too attached. Everyone has a price. Don't they?"

Her lips pressed together, her eyes filling with heat and anger, she nodded jerkily at him, once.

His grip slackened and he smiled at her once more. "You're such a loyal employee, Karin. Keep up the good work."

The door closed behind him and Karin looked up at the ceiling, willing the angry, impotent tears back into their ducts. She took several deep breaths before pasting a flirty smile back on her face and throwing back her shoulders.

Not that she'd shared the details with Kabuto or Orochimaru, but Karin _had _seen her. Sasuke's girlfriend. She's also seen the way Sasuke still looked at her photo.

Haunted. Longing. Regret.

All was not well between Sasuke and this mystery girl. It was up to Karin to figure out what.

* * *

"Oh my gawd, this place is amazing!"

As Sakura took in the gothic revamp at _Akatsuki_ that night, she had to admit Ino got to the heart of the matter for once.

"I love this," said Ino, leaning close to Sakura's ear as they finally, finally, made their way inside from the cold. Even the VIP entrance had had a line that night. The members of the MA club in line had recognized Sakura and Ino (by proxy), and together they had huddled as security had checked all guests as they entered.

"There was an issue last year where someone brought in what they'd claimed was a novelty weapon. Turns out it wasn't. Pein and Itachi took care of it; they've been super-strict ever since," said one of Sakura's sempai from MA club.

"Damn. Itachi's pretty hardcore," muttered Ino, eyebrows raised.

Sakura just nodded, ignoring the fluttering in her belly.

"Are you sure I can't convince you to ease up a little bit in your outfit? I mean, it's gorgeous, but it isn't exactly party-prêt-à-porter."

"The kids loved it today," said Sakura, shaking her head. "Especially this one little guy. He's a new transfer. He was so lonely, and…" She shook her head, forcing a smile. The boy's history was tragic, from what little she'd been able to piece together from the nurses' gossip. And how odd was it that he was from outside Konoha? Poor kid. "And I just want to relax."

"How you expect to relax in a traditional…" Ino's head tilted to the side again. "It's not a kimono, and it's not a hanbok… Is it Chinese?"

"Tang dynasty-style," agreed Sakura, looking down at her colourful robes and dress. "The kids thought I looked like a princess at the ward, today. They were so cute in their costumes!"

"Well, it looks really nice. Maybe too nice, though." Ino handed her coat to the coat check girl and tucked her ticket in her bra. Sakura waved the check girl off, preferring to keep her layers on, for now.

"You're gonna get really hot under all those," warned Ino.

"I'm more comfortable keeping some of my old bruises covered," explained Sakura, flashing Ino a small look at her shoulder, still mottled.

Immediately Ino's brow dipped, her cheeks hollowing. "Oh Sak, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"It's okay. I get to enjoy myself without being the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons this way," said Sakura. She turned towards the packed dance floor. "So, dance first? Drinks?"

"Dance," said Ino. "I love this song."

Giving a listen, Sakura made out the opening lines of Montell Jordan's "This is How We Do It". "It's twenty years old, Ino!"

"It's that good!" With a laugh, Ino dragged Sakura out to the biggest dancefloor in all her Tang dynasty glory.

* * *

The heavy drum beat called to Sakura, and after her second drink she surrendered to it and let it carry her through. Whoever _Akatsuki's _owners had hired to spin for them that night, they were top-notch. Perhaps her costume had something to do with it, but she let the primal beat combine with her natural grace and strength and take her away, moving fluidly through each pump of the bass. Grinning at Ino's wink, Sakura closed her eyes and let go.

The heavy feeling evaporated as she hummed along, smiling and lifting her arms to dance; inside her core, she responded to the urge in the music, swaying and shifting with its magic touch.

* * *

Across the dance floor on their raised platform, Deidara watched the woman who'd entranced him since he'd seen her arrive. Her movements were strong and elemental, and she was naturally beautiful. He had an artist's eye, he could tell. She was familiar, too… Had he seen her on campus before?

And the choice of traditional costume was stunning. Already his fingers itched for his sketchpad, an urge he hadn't succumbed to in months. Normally his preferred medium was clay, or pyrotechnics, but the elegant lines she made as she spun and swayed captivated him, enchanted him.

Someone passed by in front of him, and even as he shook the drink tumbler in his hands, he strained to catch a glimpse of her between the dancers and partiers.

_There!_

His mouth went slack as he watched her movements. _There was… There!_

Feverish with interest, he couldn't help his mad grin. _There. _He'd been sure he'd seen it, the traces of martial arts and tai chi movements in some of her sweeps and dips.

_The Martial Arts Club!_ That's where he'd seen her before!

Pleased he remembered (and now had something to talk with her about), he ducked back around to his customer and handed them their drink, tucking the dollar tip into his waist apron.

_Wow. She was a good dancer. And she was super-cute._ He grinned to himself. His night had just looked up.

"Deidara, break," said Konan, taking his place on the raised bar to accept the next customer.

"Thanks, yeah."

She followed his gaze to find the object of Deidara's fascination, and curbed the urge to roll her cognac eyes. Blue eyes distracted by the beautiful girl in the crowd, he didn't pay attention to Konan's eyebrow twitch.

"You're playing with fire," she said, catching his eye.

"Nothing I'm not used to," he replied, winking cheekily.

She ignored him and went back to serving up drinks in her midnight silk kimono. The gold with red-trimmed obi caught the glow of backlight and complemented the peacock-in-flight that adorned the bottom of her kimono. Deidara thought Pein had chosen well when he had commissioned that particular kimono for Konan. The origami chrysanthemum in her hair was a nice accent. She was such a good influence on the aesthetics at _Akatsuki_.

With a happy whistle to himself he untied his apron, rolled it up tightly and slid it into his personal cubby under the bar.

"Back soon," he said with a wide grin.

He grabbed a sealed bottle of water on his way down the stairs and gradually made his way over to the young woman who'd caught his attention. Her eyes were closed as she danced, but when she opened them he made eye contact and smiled at her.

Oh my, my, my, she blushed.

Swallowing down a very pleased noise, Deidara held her gaze as he approached, and joined her, finally holding the bottle of water and offering it to her.

"Thirsty?"

She nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly at him. "Deidara-sensei?"

"Smart girl," he said, leaning closer so they wouldn't have to yell. "From the Martial Arts Club. You're Kisame's student, correct?"

She nodded. And accepted the water with a small smile; her shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Having a good time tonight?"

She nodded. "I love the theme," she looked at the gothic-inspired arches, lighting and antiquities that had been brought in. "It's given this place an entirely moody atmosphere, without being tacky."

He felt his chest puff up. "Konan and I worked hard on it. You remember Konan-sensei, yeah?"

Sakura nodded, her smile widening. "Yes. She seems very sophisticated. She was a bit intimidating at first, but then I realised she was very compassionate." She took a long drink from the water as Deidara nodded. "You did a great job together! Are you having fun? Are you working tonight?"

"Yeah. I'm on break." He remembered then that this girl had been the one who had been commemorated for her heroic work at the hospital a few weeks before. "How are you doing? After… the hospital?"

She shrugged. "Pretty well, all things considered. I'm ahead in some of my classes, I'm liking the clubs on campus." She smiled up at him. "I'm making new friends. How about you?"

He couldn't help smiling back. She was adventurous. He liked adventurous. And teasing. "I like making new friends, too. I like your costume, yeah. It's Chinese, traditional, right? Tang or Song?"

"Tang!" She beamed at him, and her eyes lit up with happiness. "Good eye!"

He danced closer as she finished her water, letting his hands brush her hips. "I'm an artist," his lips brushed against her ear, a lock of loose hair tickling his cheek.

She laughed. "You're a player," she corrected, and lifted her hands to his shoulders.

He leaned back with a mock-wounded look. "And I thought you were such a sweet girl, yeah!"

She arched a brow at him. "Kisame-sensei warned all the girls in the club about you and Hidan-sensei. Is it really true he—"

Deidara laughed and shook his head, settling his hands respectfully on Sakura's waist as they danced. "Whatever Kisame said about Hidan, it's true. Reality is stranger than fiction with that guy."

"I had a feeling," she admitted, grinning up at him. She tapped him with her now-empty water bottle. "Where should I drop this off?"

"Still thirsty?"

She nodded. "Drinks?"

"As my lady commands, yeah," he said, leading her towards the bar, a hand around her back to guide her.

"Sakura," she corrected.

"As my Sakura commands. By the way, you need to show me how you did some of those moves at the hospital, yeah."

She groaned and leaned back, rolling her eyes at him. "When I can move freely again, deal. Still healing, though."

He eyed her, brows furrowed. His hand remained against the small of her back. "Serious? You dance easily, yeah."

"My legs aren't whipping around in a reverse spinning crescent while I dance," she said dryly.

He grinned at her. "Not stopping you if you're into that," he said, looking up to see who was at the bar and catching Itachi's dark gaze and nodding. "What would you like?" Already turning back to Sakura, he missed the stunned, then murderous gaze Itachi levelled on him.

"Hmm? Oh, I can get my own," she said, pulling her small purse-pouch from the inside folds of her robe.

Again Deidara felt his fingers itch and twitch. He had to get her away from everyone, somewhere quiet, somewhere with a sketchbook, charcoal, pastels, blood if necessary, anything to capture the way the silks folded against each other, their colours complementing and contrasting against her natural complexion, the innate grace of her movements. He had to commit her to paper, in clay, in fucking tinfoil. For once he may even hold off on burning or exploding them. The bright spring colours in her garments matched everything about her.

Then her intention clicked. She intended to get her own? What? _No. _No girl paid when Deidara was taking them out. Or trying to hire them as a model. "Nah, my treat, yeah." Especially with his employee discount. Perk.

She arched her brow at him, bit her lip, her cheeks flushing a bit from more than the exertion of dancing. "Um, I would love a bellini. With Prosecco, not champagne, please. Champagne gives me headaches."

"One bellini, coming right up," he said, turning back to his friend, fellow bartender, team mate… currently vowing vengeance from above at the bar.

Deidara wasn't sure what had flown up Itachi's butt, but whatever it was, it was about ready to curdle the blood in his veins. Pretty sure he hadn't done anything to upset the (normally reasonably stable) Uchiha, he flashed him a smile and tilted his head at Sakura. "Could you pass me a nice bellini, maybe a little light on the Prosecco? And a corona?"

The corona slammed down on the counter, and Deidara stared at Itachi. "The Hell, man," he said, not too loud, but with warning behind it. "You forgot the lime."

His face becoming a blank, emotionless palette, Itachi found the scrawniest, slimiest, worst-looking slice of lime and stuffed it limply in the top of the open neck bottle.

"Ew," muttered Deidara, and he flicked it out and onto the bar. "Forget the lime, then."

With deliberate care, Itachi prepared the bellini, and as Deidara had requested he lightened the alcohol content with some crushed ice.

"Thanks, man," said Deidara, reaching for it, only for Itachi to slide it away from him.

"For the lady," said Itachi, leaning down and passing the champagne flute to Sakura—and promptly slipping a cover over it, his eyes on Deidara the whole time.

Aghast at what Itachi was implying, Deidara flushed and glared at Itachi. "I work here!" he insisted to Sakura. "Itachi's just being…"

"Well-intentioned," said Sakura, giving Itachi a quick wave and a small smile. "Hey."

"Good evening, Sakura," he said. "Are you here with Ino?"

"Yes. She's dancing with some of our other friends."

Itachi nodded, his dark gaze softening as she accepted the drink. "Enjoy. Don't trust Deidara. He mixes business with pleasure."

She laughed at his comment, before ducking her head and composing herself once more to speak with Deidara. "Do you?"

"No! Well… that is…" He turned a wounded look up at Itachi, pouting and pursing his lips when he caught sight of the victory smirk that hinted in Itachi's eyes.

"Consent. Only if everyone's happy with that arrangement," he said, cheeks burning.

Itachi just looked at him, and Sakura laughed again.

"Your break's up in ten," said Itachi, wiping his hands on a towel and giving them each a nod. He turned to help another customer.

"Bastard," muttered Deidara, turning to look at an amused Sakura. "I don't suppose I could convince you to join me in the Employee Lounge to relax and talk? Talk only, I swear."

Sakura laughed at him and took his arm. "I would love to sit for a few minutes, actually. An artist, right? Are you in Fine Arts on campus?"

"Yeah! You should come by the student gallery sometime. I'll show you around, yeah."

"I'd love to come see it," she admitted, and they passed through the Employees Only door, immediately noting the deadening of the music from the club. "Wow, I can hear again."

"Pein and Konan were pretty strict on the sound dampening and insulation for the acoustics when they took on _Akatsuki_," explained Deidara as he led her down a corridor to one of the lounges. The black door again boasted another Employees Only sign. "Sometimes they have live bands and concerts in here, and it gets pretty intense."

"And you get a pretty prime seat, if you're bartending," she surmised, joining him on a black leather sofa. "I can't believe how quiet it is in here, compared to the main dance floor just a few meters away."

"These rooms are soundproofed," he pointed at the ceiling, where a speaker was concealed in the frescoed stucco pattern. He lifted his corona, and Sakura tilted her bellini. "Cheers."

"Cheers. So, what's your question, Deidara-sensei? You've had an eager look in your eye since you met me tonight, but you don't have tentacle-hands. What's your deal?"

He threw his head back and laughed. "You're pretty direct, aren't you? How do you know I didn't call you back here to 'get to know you better'?"

She lifted her glass, popped off the lid, and shook her head. "I'm safe with you. Itachi wouldn't have let me out of his sight, otherwise. He was teasing you, I think."

"You know him well?"

"Well enough. I remember you, too, from when we were all younger. You helped build the treehouse in their backyard, didn't you?"

Turning an incredulous look on her, Deidara's mouth gaped. "You were… You were there? That was ten or fifteen years ago, yeah. You would have been…" His eyes widened in realization.

Sakura smirked, and nodded at him. "Not quite that long. But yes. Your hair's grown out."

"So has yours. Wow. You're Itachi's little brother's friend, right?"

She swallowed a larger-than-intended gulp of her delicious bellini. "Hn."

"Ugh, not you, too. I hate it when Itachi answers questions with that 'Hn'," said Deidara, dropping his head back on the couch, his corona safely tucked in his lap. He sprang up again. "But I do have a question, yeah. If I promise no ulterior motives—don't grin like that, yeah, you make me feel dirty now that I know you're Sasuke's little friend—would you model for me in your costume? I would pay you, and provide you with colour copies of anything I did, so you'd know it was all above board. The FA department gives us senior students a small stipend to pay for models for some of our projects. You could meet my department director, if you want to check that I'm legit."

Still watching him, Sakura shook her head slightly. That was a lot of information in a very short period of time.

Digging around in his trousers, Deidara pulled out his phone, found something on it, and passed it to Sakura

"These are pictures from some of my old installations, yeah. Mostly I deal with sculpture."

"You want me to model for a sculpture, wearing my costume?"

"Sketch, charcoal, and paint, yeah. I think sculpture could wait until I have preliminary sketches complete. That way you wouldn't have to stand still so long."

Sakura flicked through the photos, stopping on some she liked, and asking questions about others until someone knocked on the door of the Employee Lounge.

"Your break finished five minutes ago," said Itachi, entering. He nodded to Sakura. "Do you need more time?"

Already standing, Deidara looked at Sakura, eyebrows raised. "You'll think about it, yeah?"

"I'll think about it. Maybe once I'm fully healed. I'll let you know at practice," she said. "Thank you for the drink, and the talk."

"Anytime, yeah!" He grinned at her. "I'll see you out there."

He nodded to Itachi and left to return for his shift.

The door closed behind him, leaving Sakura and Itachi alone in the muffled room.

"You look very nice this evening," he said, his voice quiet.

Her cheeks warming, Sakura glanced down at her feet a moment. "Thank you. So do you," she replied, and her cheeks flushed further. She glanced back up at him again. "Thank you for the drink, it was lovely. And lighter on the wine, which I appreciate."

He nodded. "You're very welcome. I normally sit and read during my break. May I join you?"

"Of course, it's your lounge. Um… Should I leave? I don't want to intrude." She asked, slipping her shoes back on and getting carefully to her feet. She felt much better after having sat quietly for a few minutes, but she knew Ino would be wondering where she was soon.

* * *

He had soothed his concerns; Deidara had behaved like a gentleman. Nothing was amiss. She looked calm and happy, relaxed. Beautiful.

_Breathtaking_, he finally conceded, submitting to the part of himself that yearned for her attention and recognition. He should leave her there, as it was. He'd done his duty.

He should keep his promise to Kisame to back off. He should maintain the distance between them, as much as it strangled him when she was so close, and so free, and so considerate of his need for peace and quiet and calm.

He should.

He could.

...But away from the campus; away from the prying eyes of their friends and well-intentioned families; away from the responsibilities of his family and job and stress… just the two of them…

One evening. Just a few minutes. Just the briefest of private conversations.

It wasn't weakness that spurred him and asked her to stay. It wasn't desire.

It was the need to connect with someone who didn't place him on a pedestal. Who treated him as a regular man instead of a prodigy. A friend.

And dare he admit, it was Kisame's voice which prodded him in the back of his mind: _Cuddle therapy._ But it needn't be physical, Itachi decided.

Sometimes, one just needed to be able to talk, and listen, and feel close to someone emotionally.

Sometimes, that emotional intimacy was all that was needed.

* * *

It was a tense moment, as Itachi did not immediately reply. "Please join me," he asked, his tone soft. "How are your classes so far?"

Daring to sit again, Sakura smiled at him shyly, pushing a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. "Really interesting. Ino and I share a few classes, and we study together, which makes it easier. It's nice to have someone to bounce ideas off when we're wading through some of the readings."

He nodded. "How is your family?"

"Same old, same old." She shrugged. "How about you? How are your folks? I saw your mom at the grocery store the other day. She… she has empty nest syndrome, I think. You need to get her a dog or something to spoil and keep in her purse."

Her eyes widened as he chuckled at that. "I shall attempt to make it home more often. Father must be quite exhausted by now."

Sakura grinned at him. "As long as she doesn't try to convince him for a third, I think she'll be fine."

Itachi shook his head gently, his features softening. "She has already made it clear she wants grandchildren, not more of her own children."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yes. She has several 'grandbaby' kits ready and waiting. For different age groups. This past year, when she realized Sasuke would be leaving 'the nest', she went through our old toys and sorted out which ones were still in adequate condition to be passed on." He thought back. "Sasuke has always been quite attached to his die-cast Transformers and Macross figures, and hid them from Mother. As she still hasn't found them, I believe he took them with him to Oto."

Sakura stared at him a moment, her mouth gaping. Then she burst out laughing. She relaxed against the back of the sofa, and her shoes slid off her feet once more.

"That…" She sighed, smiling and shaking her head. "Well, at least he's committed to something," she murmured. She stilled and bit her tongue, turning away from Itachi. "Sorry, that came out a bit bitter. How are you doing? You don't have your cane here at work?"

Oh, how he wanted to reach out to her in that moment, but he held back, recalling some of Kisame's words from the beginning of the term. "I am well. I only use the cane for dance routines. I could give you a free preview?"

Surprised at his daring, Sakura laughed aloud and shook her head at him. "You're teasing me! Another time, though, maybe."

Oh, he adored her blush. But he relented, unused to behaving so frivolously. "It is a hazard for me to have the cane out on the bar floor. It could be used as a weapon if someone were to take it. I left it in my car. Shisui assists me with some of my physiotherapy and tai chi has helped me regain nearly a full range of movement again."

"Full range for you, or full range for a normal mortal?" she asked. She crossed her legs beneath her, shifting to face him more fully.

He relaxed at her teasing. "For a regular adult. It will take several more months before I am fully comfortable in my abilities again."

"Congratulations! You must be working really hard."

He nodded. "Thank you." He looked at her now empty champagne flute. "Refill? Water?"

"If there's a tap and a glass nearby, water please. Oh, just show me where and I can get it," she said, rising.

He gave her a look that had her sitting immediately. "Would you like ice?"

"... yes?"

With easy practised movements he went to a cupboard by the sink and drew down two glasses, and added ice and water from the built-in mini fridge-freezer.

"Thank you," she said, accepting the glass when he sat down beside her again.

"You're always welcome."

The glass halted on its way to her lips as she glanced up at him. "You've said things like that to me, before."

He blinked at her soft words. "They are true."

She took a sip, her green eyes watching him, but didn't reply. He recognized her thinking expression, and redirected.

"May I ask why Deidara approached you?" He turned the glass around in his hand before taking a long swallow.

"He liked my costume. He wants me to model for him for some sketches…"

Immediately he knew where her mind had gone, and wanted to kick himself.

Her smile was forced. "If he asks me for a reference, can I give him your name?"

He refused to look away. He swallowed another mouthful of water before meeting her eyes again.

"If I ask you not to model for him," he began, very quietly, "will you say no?"

She held his gaze, bit her lip, then returned, "Why would you ask me not to?"

His heart beat almost angrily in his chest, threatening to burst from its bone cage.

_Remember what Kisame said,_ he told himself. _One term. Just one term. Let her have one term to be herself and make her own way, before you step in. It has to be her choice._

"Because I have much I want to say to you, but cannot yet."

She swallowed, and his eyes followed the movement of her throat. "Why not?" she whispered, her voice breathy.

_Because I want to reach across and pull you to me, to hold you. I want to see your flawless academic record shine and for you to take full credit for all of it. I want to see you become the top medic in your field and not be tainted by whispers of it being because you were associated with me or other Uchiha, or that you didn't earn everything of your own merit. Because I want to earn the right to look at you the way I do and see you looking back at me the same way. _

"Because I want you to be happy first," he said instead. "I don't want to complicate your life right now."

"You're just thinking of me, right?" She asked, and her bitter tone surprised him.

It was only because he understood where her hurt was coming from that he permitted himself a small, very small, allowance.

_No more than this,_ he promised himself as he leaned down towards her until their faces were less than a hair's breadth apart. _No more than this._

Touching her brow with his fingertips, his features softened as his fingers trailed down her cheek as her eyes went wide. He swept a loose lock of her silken hair aside, and he forced himself to let it go.

"You're more than worth the wait, Sakura," he whispered, his warm breath fanning over her ear and throat. To his immense surprise and pleasure, her skin blushed with goosebumps as he nosed her earlobe. "One term of independence. I made an oath to give you that much."

A small chime went off in his pocket; his break was over in five minutes.

Letting go of the low breath he held, his lips brushed the shell of her ear one last time. To his delight, she shivered and he heard her breathing pick up its pace.

He let his lips linger against her hair. "But once the final marks are in, at New Years, I will come for you."

To his immense male pride, he noted the flush in her cheeks, the darkening of her eyes; when she swallowed and gave the tiniest of nods, he wanted to crow in triumph.

It was exceedingly difficult but with grace and dignity Itachi stood up. Then he nodded to her and walked away. Placing his glass by the sink, he exited the Employees Only area and returned to the bar. If his step felt a bit lighter than it had before, he would savour privately the reasoning behind it.

Deidara met him there on the bar platform, his eyes trailing behind Itachi in the direction of the Employee Lounge.

"Is she coming back out, yeah?"

"Hn."

Deidara's focus turned from the Employee access door to Itachi, his eyes narrowing at Itachi's faint smirk.

"What is that supposed to mean, yeah?"

"It means this one won't be modelling for you," said Konan, joining them. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sakura emerge from the hallway. She turned her cognac eyes on Itachi. "You still have three minutes of break left."

Itachi's eyes flickered to Sakura.

Konan didn't miss this. "You came early tonight. Make it ten," she said, and turned to cover his section of the bar for him.

Deidara stared between Itachi and Sakura for several moments before his shoulders slumped. "She's the one."

"Hn."

Itachi was already on his way down to the dance floor.

* * *

Ino's wide eyes searched the crowds as she pushed her way back to where she'd last seen Sakura.

"Ino!"

"Sakura! Finally! Oh my god, where were you? I've been looking for you for fifteen minutes! Kiba, Shika and Naruto are helping, too. Are you okay?" Ino pulled her closer. "Why are your eyes all spacey? Did someone put something in your drink? Oh my god, do I need to get you to an adult? What's the last thing you remember?" She squinted at Sakura. "And why are you all… floaty?"

"I'm fine, really, I went to put my feet up for a few minutes and ran into someone from MA Club—"

"Itachi!" burst out Ino, her eyes going wide. In the background, a new song came over the speakers, and Ciara's _"Dance Like We're Making Love"_ flowed like wine into the room.

"Well, first it was Deidara, actually, but yeah, then it was—"

"No, I mean Itachi's right beside you, Forehead."

Ino turned her to face him. There was something dark and captivating in eyes, even in the low light of the club. Sakura's tummy tightened reflexively in response. Oooh, the butterflies were back.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, holding out a hand for her to grasp.

"Yes," said Ino for Sakura before she could make up an excuse. Ino shoved her best friend into his arms. "She says yes."

A smirk played around the edges of Itachi's mouth. He held out another hand to Sakura, and with a furtive glance at her traitorous best friend, Sakura stepped into Itachi's dance space as he circled his hands around her.

"I'm not a great dancer," she warned as the music took hold of her again, pulling and pushing her like a rising tide. Or perhaps it was the subtle heat rising from Itachi's long, lean body that was making her dizzy and flow. Her speeding heart was definitely involved in the mixture somewhere. Suddenly all her layers really were making her warm, and confined, and with his arms around her, just a little bit pleasantly trapped.

_Let's dance like we're..._

"Not a very good liar, either," he murmured in her ear, bringing his hands around her waist and drawing her in closer. Their chests bumped together lightly, and Sakura gasped, her mouth opening just enough to let out a faint breath of surprise. He smiled down at her softly, and spread his hands across her back, giving her a gentle squeeze.

For Sakura's part, her hands pressed from the broad expanse of Itachi's muscled shoulders, smoothed down to his chest, before she bit her lip, held his eyes… and very slowly moved her hands back up again appreciatively. Her stomach coiled tighter, and she rose up on her toes, just a bit, closing the distance between them further.

_Let's dance like we're..._

The heat sparking in his eyes caught her breath in her throat. She was playing with fire.

Hot and dangerous and tempting and sinful.

She didn't know what to make of it, except for that...

… She liked it. She _really _liked it.

_Let's dance like we're..._

She blushed and looked to the side, embarrassed at how forward she felt, but Itachi caught her chin with his fingertips and shook his head. "Don't look away. Please."

It was his 'please' that broke her resolve. And made her heart run away with her mouth.

"I won't," she said, and they spent the rest of the song together, captivated. Closer they moved, until his forehead rested upon hers, and their eyes held and her fingers twisted in the loose ends of his ponytailed hair, and his fingers smoothed along the silky finish of her layered robes.

She was so tempted by his lips. She was lifting her fingers, then her chin, to trace them to see if they really were as delicious as they looked when she felt his breath whoosh out of his chest, and he closed his eyes.

_Let's dance like we're..._

"Not yet," he begged, his voice a tortured breath just loud enough for her ears only. Flushing, she bit her lip again and withdrew; his groan of dismay nearly dismantled her, but his hands tightened their hold on her, his thumbs spreading to brush just beneath her breasts, halting her retreat. Gods, the sound of his voice like that, it made her want to, she just wanted to—

_Let's dance like we're making love._

**Yes.**

Sakura swallowed at the stirring inside her, the butterflies becoming a warm liquid that pulsed in her core, that she hadn't felt for so long and that took her over like a tsunami. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Itachi's beautiful, pained face. Her breathing hitched with realization.

_Yes_. That's exactly what she wanted. With him. Her body moved closer to his again, until their breath mixed. Until there was no distance between them anymore. She felt every firm inch of him up against her, pressing closer to her, too.

Oh, she wanted more, so much more, her heart beating so fast it was going to jump right out of her, and she felt him pull her even closer, his hand guiding her at the small of her back, until they were barely moving at all, only their hips swaying intimately, reminding Sakura of... of...

Her hands shook with want, tangled in his hair, her breath came out shaky as, with the smallest, gentlest motion, they began grinding together. Shivers ran down her back and legs when she felt him pressing into her tummy. Her hands tightened in his hair. _Gods, if they weren't in front of a crowd of people, she would just..._

She whimpered as they dipped together, and she felt his reaction to her and her gasp was nothing but want. Suddenly Itachi opened his eyes and there it was; a promise within them. It seared her with its intensity, and he mouthed the lyrics along with the song.

_"…**let's dance like we're making love."**_

Sakura's mouth fell open just a bit as she nodded, unable to look away from him. His hands dropped to her hip and he lifted her up on him and he angled them further to meet his, and then she felt it, pulsing, straight through to her core—

_"Yes," _she gasped in surprise and desire, her eyes fluttering shut as she felt the fireworks bursting through her, Itachi's hands—sweet gods, were they trembling?—holding her firmly in place as they undulated against each other.

Then she heard Itachi's breath whooshing shakily from him, and Sakura almost lost herself again. To her surprise, he pulled her into a beautifully tight embrace as their hearts shuddered and raced together, then gradually calmed.

They remained entwined, Sakura's arms wrapping around Itachi's neck to hold her up, his around her waist, his forehead pressed to hers, until the song faded, and changed. It was then that Konan caught Itachi's eye that he knew his reprieve was done.

As he pulled away, very reluctantly, he dipped his lips to Sakura's ear. Nosing her loose hair to the side, he breathed warm air over the oversensitive flesh and whispered, "New Years, Sakura.

"_Be ready."_

His male pride was rewarded with her blush as he returned to the bar. He nodded his thanks to Konan, who gave him a secret smile before she moved to a new section of the bar. Unseen by Itachi, Konan winked at the DJ, who nodded back to her and returned to his regular set.

* * *

Sakura had run a marathon; she had run, she had survived, and she could see the finish line, and it felt amazing.

As she lay in her bed that night, having finally said goodnight to an equally excited, if perhaps preening, Ino for the last time (really) via text, Sakura couldn't stop the pounding of her heart, the warmth building in her chest, the grin that felt like it would never fade away.

Because now she knew. She knew, for sure.

It was mutual.

It was wonderful.

It was magical.

Even with the tingles of anxiety, the furl of excitement in her belly, the euphoria felt incredible.

"_Be ready,"_ he'd said.

Oh, she was.

She couldn't help the exclaimed squeal that broke free from her lips as she hugged her pillow closer. She was allowed to be _happy_.

She closed her eyes, still smiling. Screw all the consequences, all the people around them. She was happy.

It felt so good to be happy.

* * *

_How dare she!_

His fingers gripped the glass so tightly it cracked, and he whipped it at the wall with a satisfying crash. _How dare she! That slut!_

Not acknowledging him when he'd watched over her all night! Yet letting the blond ass, and then Itachi, those bartenders, into her private space… It was disgusting. Vile. They were completely unworthy of her.

He took a breath to calm himself. But he would forgive her. He'd already exercised most of his anger, anyway. And he would always forgive her. As long as she came back to him.

But now he was sure, at least, that Itachi did have feelings for her. How anyone could not have feelings for her when she looked so beautiful, so elegant, so exceptional that evening, was beyond him. But for once, Itachi had been obvious. He had made a move. He had been territorial. He had warned another male from her company. It was almost pleasant… if not for the fact it was Itachi. The over-reaching brat.

He frowned and looked down at the bedspread. He'd chosen it just for her. It would look perfect once he finished painting the walls. His bottom lip stuck out slightly in a pout as he considered some of the damage on the walls. Well, he would probably have to buff out those scuffs first, but then, he could repaint them, and … yes…. She would look like a true goddess, spread out on the covers, waiting for him, to welcome him, purify him, make him clean and worthy of her.

Whole.

She would heal him, until he was whole. It was… a stirring thought.

He let out a soft sigh as he felt himself react, as always, to her, and gently ran his hands through the long coral hair that kissed and caressed his bare thighs.

"Did I tell you to stop?" he asked, voice level. He turned his head down, meeting the young woman's wide eyes with a warning look as she trembled on her knees in front of him. Her mouth full, she shook her head carefully, paling at his renewed attention. "Then don't. You need to set a good example."

He was unaffected by the sounds of sniffles coming from the pair of women, bound and gagged, by the crib. However, when he heard the scraping of wood upon hardwood, he snapped his dark eyes on them, promising murder.

"That is an antique! Show some respect for the future lady of the house and my heir!"

Then he turned a commanding look back on the woman crying over his lap. "You need better friends. They have no respect for people's property." Then, at her nod, he added, "Proceed. That's better... Much better."

Hmm. Perhaps he should do something about the smell? The basement really wasn't containing the scent of the bodies as well as he'd hoped. Hmph. Shallow graves just weren't what they used to be. Even when he split them up, they still reeked to high heaven. Hn.

He glanced at the two untried girls.

Their arms looked strong. They would probably make great diggers.

* * *

**AN: Yes, this chap's going out to all the ItaSaku shippers. You're a patient lot. And yes, there will be consequences. Ah, consequences.**

**AN2: Everyone, please give pokesimmo a hand! She's an amazing beta! (All mistakes remain my own.)**

**AN3: While the video is possibly NSFW, Ciara's "Dance Like We're Making Love" is the absolutely perfect song to listen to while reading the dancing between Itachi and Sakura. (I'm not the only one dancing in her seat whenever that song comes on, right?) **

**AN4: I hope you also got to read my Batman/Naruto AU, "Gotham United", darlings! It's a SasuSaku (yes, posted close to this chapter of "FF II", on purpose so Sasuke could have some love, too). Much love to you all, lovely readers! SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER!**

* * *

_**Reader Review Replies!**_

**Rizu Hatake-hime:** Thank you! I worked really hard at Itachi's characterization. And as for Sasuke, he's young &amp; learning how to deal. We'll see if he can redeem himself by the end of "Forest Fire". ;) I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for your review!

**NovaCole**: Hahahaha, yes, kids do ask the darndest things. I've been on the receiving end of a few doozies from my own. Almost always in public. Oy. XD And no, we should never underestimate Kisame's kids, hahahah! So glad you enjoyed the papa-Itachi scenes, and that you liked the scenes with Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi and Madara. Chapter 11 was definitely Uchiha-centered, but we got to see more from Sakura this chapter! (And an update on Kimimaro's son, if you caught it!) And this chapter was all about the ItaSaku. I hope you enjoyed Ino's interference, too. hahahahah! Thank you for the lovely feedback, it is always appreciated. Cheers!

**Uchiha Misaki**: Oh-ho-ho-ho! Those packages remain a secret for now! Winkwink. But we learn more about them next chapter. Hang tight! Thank you for mentioning that you liked the addition of Kimimaro; he seemed like he needed some face time in here. I hope you enjoyed this chapter (and Madara), too! Thank you for your review!

**AliceCambio**: Thank you!

**GalacticBatMegan:** YES, YES THERE IS TENSION. (Even more, now, wheeeeeeee!). As for Itachi, I think he got more of what he wanted this chapter, eh? Thank you for your review!

**butterfly9070:** Thank you! And yes, Madara is our favourite neighbourhood stalker-creeper, isn't he? I love writing him. (Er… oh whatever. It's fun. XD) Yes, Sasuke is accepting responsibility for some of his mistakes, and I'm trying to keep him sympathetic! Sometimes it is hard. (I'm terrible at writing outright bastards, though. It's hard.) Glad you liked Kakashi. He's pure fun. As for the Itachi/Sakura interaction… did this chapter satisfy? Thank you for your review!

**Hana-Taisho:** Happy belated birthday! *Offers cake, wine, and ItaSaku eye-smex* . Yes, Kimimaro was pretty tortured, wasn't he? But it serves a purpose, I promise! And good catch, with recognizing the curse seal analogy! So glad you enjoyed the Sasuke/Kakashi interaction, it is a lot of fun to write. (I'm sure Kakashi loves annoying people in this story.) There was more Sakura in this chapter (though only a brief mention of her at the hospital), I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for your review!

**Yami no Emi:** You are very welcome! Thank you for your review!

**ElevatedJewel**: Ooh! Glad you recognized Kimimaro's role as catalyst for Sasuke, good job! And you're pretty spot on with Madara's obsession with Sakura. (As shown in this chapter; I wrote it months ago, and you nailed it! You're a smart cookie. Or I need to work a bit harder. Both!) We learn a bit more about the envelopes next chapter, I believe. I'm so glad you enjoyed seeing Kakashi (I agree, yes, he is hot), and Itachi; and that you noted Itachi's insecurities! Well done! I really hope you liked this chapter, too, especially with the ItaSaku. Thank you for such a thoughtful review!

**momoko09**: Oh yes, shit is about to go down. (insert evil author face) To quote Scar, "Be prepared!". I hope you enjoy the 'move' Itachi made this chapter, and we're learning more about Sasuke's motivations. As for how Madara knows about Sakura, that's covered around the last two chapters or so (IIRC) of "Forest Fire" (the first "Forest Fire", the prequel to this one). If you still can't find the reference, let me know. I'll be clearer in the next chapter's Reviewer Replies. (wink!) As for whether Sasuke will adopt Kimimaro's son out of guilt, that's a very interesting twist… Hmmm… Thank you for your review!

**ukatoemina**: I think Sasuke has several problems. XD But yes, his insecurities are terrible, aren't they? So glad he has Kakashi there to help him. As for Itachi and Sakura interaction, I hope this chapter covered that base. (wink) I tried so very hard. Their dancing just seemed to get naughtier every time I edited that scene. (this author is completely unrepentant about that, btw) As for Sasuke's pass falling as too coincidental a time for Kakashi to casually find it… you're probably right. Kakashi's a sneaky one, when he wants to be. As for Kisame's kids, they're a fun lot, aren't they? Hahahah, I love how devious they are. As for men wearing hakama for martial arts, I found a good picture of how I pictured Itachi (roughly) wearing his. If you look for me on Pinterest (beyondthemoor) and look up my "Forest Fire II" board, you'll see one of the top pics is of a man wearing hakama. And not much else. Totally safe for work… mostly. As for NaruHina, I had to slip it in somewhere. She's helping him deal with Sasuke. Thank you for your review!

**Guest**: Thank you! I am so glad you mentioned that (giving each person showtime while remaining relevant). Pacing has always been a struggle for me, as well as learning to 'hold back and resist the urge to explain', and so your words mean a lot. Thank you for your review!

**ukatoemina**: Oh yes, Oto Corp is totally awful. They probably barbecue kittens for lunch. Evil. As for Itachi, yes, he's still in his shirt, vest, and tie… though he's no doubt abandoned his jacket (due to infection by glitter). I think Sakura very much appreciated seeing him in *most* of his suit, though. (wink) Thank you for your review!

**dreadwings**: Yay! That makes me so happy! I hope the ItaSaku in this chapter satisfied. Thank you very much for your review!

**animelover5107**: Thank you!

**Helennnn**: I hope that, if you were in the mood for ItaSaku (which I'm SO EXCITED FOR in "Who said anything about love?"), that this chapter hit the spot. (wink) So glad you liked Kakashi! He's so much fun. Thank you for your review, and happy writing!


	13. November

**Chapter 13**

* * *

_**November**_

The next day, November 1st, Deidara texted Itachi with photos of Sakura from the night before.

"_Her contact info, please? Just to model for the gallery." - D_

"_Is this bribery?" _Itachi texted him back.

"_Does it help?" - D_

"_I'll pass her your info." - I_

"_Thanks, man, yeah!" - D_

Itachi smirked and set the phone aside. He still hadn't gone to bed yet, and his room was littered with sketches of Sakura.

"New Years," he repeated to himself. A mantra. "New Years."

* * *

"Hm?"

The envelopes tipped and fell out of Sakura's locker like a paper avalanche, and she sighed as they piled around her feet.

Her nose twitched. Ugh. There had been a funky smell in the hallway for a while, and it always seemed to get worse when she opened her locker.

And who kept shoving these stupid envelopes in there?

She collected a few and stuffed the rest back into her locker. Then she headed towards the administration building.

"Excuse me," she said as she approached one of the office administrators behind the room-long desk that separated students from staff. "I have a question about my locker."

"Sure; which building is it in?"

"Modern Languages and Literature."

The admin nodded. "In the lower level?"

Sakura smiled. "Yes, the basement. Someone keeps putting these envelopes in my locker, but I think they have the wrong one. Do you mind if I leave these here with you? Or, may I ask you to contact the person who had the locker before me? Maybe one of their friends is leaving these for them."

"Hold on a moment."

Sakura nodded as the woman opened a program up on her computer.

"May I ask your name, student number, date of birth, and the locker number?"

Sakura provided them and leaned against the counter, nudging the envelopes away.

Ugh. She wrinkled her nose and moved them away a little further. The nasty smell had even sunk into the paper of the envelopes.

"I don't see that anyone has actually used that locker in the last three or so years; or that there's anyone in the lockers on either side of yours," said the woman apologetically. She shrugged a shoulder at Sakura. "If you're concerned, you can certainly report this to campus police. Or you can just go the easy route and throw them out," she said with a wink. "That way no one's the wiser and you don't need to do anything else."

But if they were important, she didn't know if she could stomach the knowledge she'd damaged someone's work. Sakura's brow wrinkled.

"Okay, thank you," she said, collecting the envelopes again. "I really appreciate you checking."

"Anytime, dear. We're here to help," said the woman with a smile. "Candy?"

"No thank you," smiled Sakura, shaking her head. "The smell from these things kind of turns my stomach." She held up the envelopes.

The admin's mouth turned down as her nose twisted, "Hm, you weren't kidding. It's like something died in there."

"I know, right?"

Sakura returned to her locker and collected the packages together, before piling as many of them as would fit in the bottom of her locker. At least they wouldn't get in her way as much, there.

She had just turned to her mirror on the locker door when she heard Ino calling for her from the stairwell.

"Forehead? Hey, you down here? I thought we were meeting at the library, but some guy said he thought he saw you head downstairs."

A flash of adrenaline shot through Sakura. She couldn't let Ino know about the locker!

As quickly and quietly as she could, she shoved the rest of the envelopes in and snapped the door shut before grabbing her bag and jogging to meet Ino.

"Over here! I thought I saw you come down here earlier; that's so funny."

"There you are! So, did you get any sleep last night, or were you on auto-fantasy-dream-pilot? Because I swear, the look on your face last night at _Akatsuki_, after Itachi…"

Ino babbled on excitedly, teasing Sakura the entire way to the library. Sakura listened with half an ear, smiling and rolling her eyes. But she was distracted. She was almost sure she'd somehow lost another photo that had been up on her locker door. The floor in front of her locker was clean, though, and it hadn't been stuck on the bottom shelf, or swept into a corner in the corridor.

Hmm. She would need to use extra tape next time.

* * *

Yoroi looked in on Sasuke through his open office door. His new employee worked like a man possessed. Perhaps he was.

He kept looking at the schedule he'd drafted, up on his monitor, then at some papers on his desk. Finally, he packed up his things and made his way to the door. Yoroi nodded to him as Sasuke looked up.

"Going well?"

"Yes, sir. I'm on my way to another client meeting. They were very impressed with the last clinical results, and they agreed to the increase in cost when I explained the cost-benefit savings we'd implement to save them more in the long run," said Sasuke. He looked up at Yoroi another minute, and the supervisor nodded and stepped back out of his way.

"Good work, Uchiha."

Sasuke nodded and headed to the elevator.

Yoroi watched him go. The young man was doing well. It wouldn't be remiss to pass along another project or two, he decided. The Uchiha seemed the type to thrive under duress.

* * *

Dropping his bag on the desk in his bedroom, Sasuke dropped onto his bed with a low groan. It was ten thirty, and he was too tired to cook supper. He rubbed at his itchy, dry eyes, and slipped out of his suit jacket, kicked off his socks, and dropped back onto his comforter.

His mind kept working and running at a mile a minute, but he couldn't focus on any part on any piece long enough to catch it and focus on it.

He loosened the buttons on his cuffs and at his throat, and gave up after that.

After half an hour or so, he drifted off into a troubled sleep, waking several times through the night.

By five in the morning, he gave up on sleep and with a stifled sigh, he dragged himself up, changed into his gym clothes, and packed a fresh suit into a hanging-coat-hanger-bag. The sticky note he'd left for himself on the suit reminded him he had to collect his dry cleaning that day, since this was his last clean one. He'd forgotten or been too busy the last three days to nip by. Well, more like he'd been too late to make it to the cleaners to collect them before they closed. Hn.

Remembering he also had to get groceries that day, Sasuke didn't bother opening his fridge. It would be empty. He'd have to get something on his way to the office. It also meant he'd have to go out at lunch to get something to eat. Though he had several meetings back-to-back through the usual lunch hour, so perhaps he'd just skip and grab supper on his way home… while he got his dry cleaning…

His thoughts already running and chasing each other through his mind, Sasuke rubbed at his eyes to ease his headache. It had been constant over the last few days. Maybe weeks. Hn.

He knocked his bottle of acetaminophen into his bag, then left, locking the door behind him.

* * *

"Good job, Uchiha. By the way, we got some positive feedback on your recent negotiations with the client issues over in the Accounting department… Keep it up."

Sasuke focused on Yoroi and nodded at him, noting the new folder the man dropped in his inbox.

Another one.

He felt his shoulders strain as he reached out to collect it.

Why was he so tired?

He had to eat better. Drink more water. That was it, probably. Dehydration. Maybe he'd take a day this weekend and cook a few meals and freeze them, so he'd be able to eat better during the week. His mom had done that, when they'd been growing up. She'd even done it for Itachi, when he first left for university and moved out on his own.

Bitterness filled his mouth as he refused to pursue the thought any further, for now. He'd e-mail his mother for some recipes that night.

He looked over his new project, already estimating the time commitments he'd need to budget.

Instead of waiting for that night, he instead texted his mother from the office, lips pressed tightly together. And asked for a grocery list. He rubbed at his eyes again, and with a sigh, reached for the bottle of acetaminophen he kept in his desk drawer. There was a grocery chain that delivered, from what he remembered. He'd set up an account with them. He should have done it ages ago.

Damn headache.

* * *

"Hn?"

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"Hey, you okay? You don't sound so good," said Naruto, quieting his voice.

"Headache. Been busy," said Sasuke, leaning back on his bed, eyes closed even with all the lights extinguished in his room.

"You don't get headaches, though. You're, like, bionic," admitted Naruto, laughing a little. He turned his music down so it wouldn't filter through the call. He could barely hear Sasuke as it was. "Oh, hey, it's not like Itachi's headaches, is it? He had to see doctors about his, right?"

Sasuke sighed. Christ. They better not be late-onset migraines. Itachi's registered on the Richter scale. "Don't think so. Just really busy."

"Oh. Okay. If you say so." Naruto went quiet. "Should I let you get back to work? Or are you eating supper?"

"Hn. Too tired to make supper tonight." Damn. He still hadn't had a chance to cook up those meals. He had to do it soon before his groceries went bad. Maybe he should order something to be delivered in the meantime. He winced as he started to sit up and the pressure in his skull blew up.

On his side of the call, Naruto made concerned noises in his throat. "Are you sure you're okay? Because you really sound worn—"

"It's fine! Geez, fuck off, Naruto," snapped Sasuke, as his headache spiked. He clamped a hand over his eyes, trying to block out every shred of light that dared assault his retinas.

Breathing hard, Sasuke clenched his teeth.

"... I'll let you get some rest, man. Later," said Naruto quietly, hanging up without waiting for Sasuke's reply.

Swallowing down bile, Sasuke ended the call from his side, then flipped it over and pulled out the battery, dropping it beside him on the bed.

Panting, Sasuke clenched his eyes shut and counted to ten.

Then counted to ten again.

Then counted to ten again, and pulled out a pillow to cover his head.

* * *

Frowning, Sakura's nose wrinkled. She turned her head away as she opened her locker door, and breathed through her mouth, low and even, to counter the bile reflex that had jagged to attention.

Stupid envelopes. She was quite sure the smell was coming from them, now.

With a tightly held breath she grabbed what she needed and shut the door quickly, making a mental note to bring disinfecting wipes with her to clean her locker out soon.

* * *

The professor handed out the rest of the assignments, pausing at the one in his hand. His brow furrowed as he scanned the room.

"Uchiha, Tobi?"

It took a second, then a black-haired young man stood and reached out to the professor.

"Sorry; for some reason I remembered you as having short brown hair, not long dark hair. My old memory is playing tricks on me," apologized the teacher, handing over the graded assignment.

The tall young man shook his head, offering a polite smile. "It has happened a few times in my classes."

The professor nodded. "I'll remember next time. I must have mixed you up with someone else, at the beginning of the term. Normally I'm quite good at remembering my students' names and faces. Well done on your assignment, by the way!"

"It's an honest mistake, no harm," said Madara, re-taking his—Tobi's—seat. "Thank you."

* * *

Yoroi knocked on the door to Sasuke's office, and walked in, not waiting for an invitation.

"Uchiha. Sasuke," he said, leaning forward and holding Sasuke's irritated gaze. Sasuke immediately straightened up.

"Sir."

"Just wanted to let you know, before you heard it through rumours. Kimimaro finished his work last night, and passed away in his sleep." He set a wrapped box on Sasuke's desk. "He left this for you."

Sasuke stared at it, even as bile rose in his throat. It was far too soon for such a recurrence.

"Open it," ordered Yoroi.

Tape, then plain brown paper wrapping tore away to reveal…

"A kaiju action figure?"

"Hn."

From 'Pacific Rim', going by the packaging. "It shoots lightning," said Sasuke, reading the side of the box. "In the movie."

"Heh. Didn't know you were a fan," said Yoroi. "You and Kimimaro talk about monster movies a lot?"

"Something like that," said Sasuke, wrapping the figure back up and setting it under his desk.

"You aren't going to leave it out? A memento?"

"Hn," said Sasuke, to the negative.

"Well, don't let me get in the way of your grieving," snickered Yoroi, standing once more. "Everything still on track for those assignments?"

"Ah. Ahead of schedule for most."

Yoroi gave him a pleased smile. "Good job, Uchiha."

Sasuke nodded, turning back to his work again. His hands shook.

Kimimaro was dead.

* * *

"How do we have finals coming in a few weeks? We just finished mid-terms!"

"Ino—"

"And with assignments and papers and club nights and grocery shopping, how do they expect us to be prepared?"

"Ino—"

"And the worst, absolute worst part about this? I'm going to break out right before Christmas."

"Ino—"

"Yes?"

"Finals are a month away. In two of your classes, if your mark is above 80 %, the final exam is optional. That leaves you with three classes to study for for finals. At least two of those have sections large enough to warrant multiple-choice tests, which you are freakishly good at—"

Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Ino smiled. "Why thank you—"

"Which leaves you with one exam, that really isn't a hardship because you have a strange and disturbing affinity for Criminology and could probably recite the textbook while blindfolded in a state of sheer excitement."

"Excited about the subject matter or excited about the blindfold?"

Sakura tried to frown at Ino, but failed and burst out laughing when Ino winked back at her. "Ugh. Ino, you're going to be fine. Now are you going to help me with filling in these forms?"

"Fine," sighed Ino lustily. "The Students For Society office needs a few new air fresheners."

"Focus, Ino. Type the info from the PDF into the donor database, and then produce the thank-you mailer. That's what we're helping with, today."

"I was expecting hotter surroundings, doing goody-goody work, Sakura."

Clenching her teeth and taking a calming breath, Sakura looked at Ino's pout and ground out, "I promise… we'll…" _Oh gods, was it really worth it? Focus, girl, you need the help. _"I'll bring you to _Akatsuki_ with me tomorrow night. Some of my sempai invited me along to join them."

Ino's dawning smile had a feral edge that made shivers creep down Sakura's smile. "Will Itachi be there? Please say yes. Do I get to choose your outfit?"

Sakura felt her cheeks warm and clenched her teeth. She knew she'd live to regret confessing what Itachi told her during that dance to Ino. "No."

"Shooooooooes?"

"... maybe—"

"Look at my done pile!"

Sakura's eyes bugged out of her head.

"You played me," she seethed.

"Moi?" Ino twirled a lock of hair around her pinky, smiling a Cheshire grin.

"Bitch."

"Ho! Ho! Ho!"

Behind them a deep sigh and a smothered laugh emanated from one of the other poorly constructed, decrepit, scuff-marked gray cubicles.

The girls' brows shot up, and Sakura's cheeks flooded to the tips of her ears. She knew that voice. Oh no, could she please just disappear through the floor, right this second? She was sure she could figure out how to tunnel through linoleum with her nail file.

But it seemed Ino didn't recognize that sintastic voice. And in true Ino fashion, she decided the best way to appraise the situation was to see what happened when she tossed a gallon of 87 octane on it.

Never one to back down, Ino stood and marched to the back of the room. "You got a proble—… Oh, uh. Hi, _Professor Uchiha_."

Sakura wanted to die. She was beyond mortified.

"Hello, Ino. Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Hi Ino!"

"Shut up, Naruto! What are you doing—never mind, I'm talking to, _Professor Uchiha… _And _absolutely, _sir_. _How've you been?"

The deep, rumbling chuckle stirred in Sakura, and she pressed her lips and eyes shut. _New Years. _She bit her lip and tried to take a deep breath. Already she could feel her stomach tightening at the sound of his voice.

"So, need any help with those? I'm pretty good with a keyboard," flirted Ino as she leaned against the cubicle.

—which promptly collapsed beneath her.

White with embarrassment and fury, Ino turned on a howling Naruto. "You insufferable little sh—"

A not-so-subtle cough got the blond girl's attention and she whirled on Itachi before smoothing her hands down her shirt and pasting on a false smile. "Yes?"

"I don't think Naruto had anything to do with it. These cubicles were installed circa 1982, if rumours are to be believed," said Itachi. The corners of his mouth kept twitching, though, and as Sakura glanced over the top of her cubicle she could see Ino's fists shaking at her sides.

With a sigh, Sakura finished up her last letter and grabbed her pile and Ino's, placing them on the organizer's desk for the mailing crew.

"Hi," she blushed, biting her lip as she met Itachi's gaze. "Sorry to bother you, we'll be on our way," rushed Sakura as she grabbed Ino's elbow in an iron death grip.

"Sakura, hey! I need to talk to you about…" Naruto glanced at Itachi, and his brow furrowed.

"Hi Naruto! I'll see you again later this week, okay?" She ignored his pleading eyes and ducked her head as she dragged Ino away before the girl flirted herself into a sexual harassment-based suspension. "Cease and desist or I will burn you with a straightening iron tomorrow," hissed Sakura at Ino. "Later, Naruto! I'll call you!"

"Goodbye, Sakura, Ino," said Itachi, and gods, did his voice need to sound that delicious when he was obviously laughing at them?

"Bye!"

"See you in class," he added.

"You bet!" Ino winked.

Sakura flushed deeper. "Bye," she repeated, stumbling over the syllable.

"Does he often work with S4S?" asked Ino, trying to crane her neck around to see Itachi as Sakura hauled her away. She also caught the way Naruto's shoulder slumped as he lowered his hand. Hmm. She mentally bookmarked it for follow-up.

Sakura sighed. "I was told he was taking the term off, mostly, to focus on his teaching. I guess he came in anyway."

"Lucky us~!"

Groaning, Sakura dropped Ino's arm to put on her jacket. "So, I know I'm going to regret this, but you did hold up your end of the bargain. Let's go," Sakura mentally braced herself, "check out your shoe collection."

Ino's squeal was heard clear across the quad.

* * *

Kakashi looked down at Sasuke, sitting hunched over on the stoop outside his shop.

"Oy. Did you get lost?"

He leaned down, crouching, and poked at Sasuke with the corner of his book. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke, his head between his knees, shook finely as if he were cold. He still wore his expensive work clothes, however, and normally ran fairly hot, from what Kakashi remembered.

"Kid?"

"Dead."

"Huh?" Kakashi leaned closer, and Sasuke turned to look at him.

"He's dead. I killed him."

Kakashi blinked. Then blew a his arms around Sasuke's middle, he heaved him to his feet.

"You're a horrible person, making an old man like me carry you around with my poor, aching back," grumbled Kakashi good-naturedly.

As he shuffled Sasuke into his shop, he flipped the sign on the door so it read, 'Closed', and turned off the outer lights.

* * *

For the first time in weeks, Itachi reached for the small, unmarked plastic container in his medicine cabinet. _It was strictly work-stress_, he told himself.

"_The fuck, Itachi! You're my brother! Why the Hell are you drawing my girlfriend naked?"_

It had nothing to do with his brother still refusing to answer his calls.

"_Do you think no one noticed the way you look at her? Bend over backwards for her? Make her whatever she wants to eat when she visits?"_

Or to do with the flashbacks from that summer. The flashbacks not from being shot, not from the violence exchanged between them and Madara, but rather the flashbacks from his fight with Sasuke, his baby brother, his own flesh and blood.

"_Drive her anywhere she needs to be? Are always able to chaperon when she's here, but if she isn't, then I need to go to Naruto's for the night? Huh?"_

It had nothing to do with the fact that he'd come across a picture Sasuke had coloured for him and made him promise to keep it forever, tucked into the pages of one of his old middle school sketchbooks. Back in the days when he drew cars and landscapes and kung fu poses, when Sasuke had been in kindergarten and happily brought home construction paper masterpieces that all read, 'I love you, Itachi' in various spelling incarnations of his name. Their mother had a scrapbook of them, no doubt.

"_Why is it okay for her to go through your room, your personal things for items from the scavenger hunt, but no one else can find you to even ask you questions?"_

He swallowed not one, but two Mangekyou, dry. His head was ready to split open.

"_Even Kisame's kids know!" had screamed Sasuke, fists and teeth clenched as he pummelled Itachi in their living room. _

"_You're sick! I hate you!"_

Itachi's vision blurred worse and he stumbled to his bed, still clutching the treasured picture Sasuke had made him more than a decade ago. Slightly crumpled now, the picture's once sharp, now frayed, edges caught on his phone's charging cable, tearing further.

"_You can have anyone, anything! You're so perfect you get anything you want! But you can't have her, never! She's mine! She loves me! She doesn't need you, but I need her! She's mine!"_

He couldn't seem to grasp his bedsheets, and gave up on pulling them up to keep warm. With a muffled grunt his grip on the paper slipped and it sailed down, down, down to slide beneath the bed.

"'m sorry, Sasuke," he muttered, his face pressed into the pillows, his brow furrowed painfully deep.

With that he fell asleep into troubled, confusing dreams, his mobile phone beside him on the bed. Its last message was still glowing.

**From: Kakashi.  
To: Itachi.**

_Msg: Something is wrong. Sasuke's changed, not acting right. Recently showing concerning behaviour. Signs of emotional trauma / PTSD. Need to snap him out of it, too dangerous to leave him alone. Please advise._

* * *

The tide's ebb and flow, the waves crashing softly nearby, echoed around him. Sasuke looked down at her smiling face and felt something inside him warm and swell to bursting. She was so focused on him, her eyes bright and shining, her arms reaching up to catch behind his neck and pull him down beside her on the sandy beach towel.

"Come down here," she grumbled playfully.

He felt himself smiling without thinking, and lowered himself down, sliding an arm beneath her shoulders to scoop her up and deposit her head on his shoulder.

_Much better,_ he thought, smug. Now he could feel her strong, curved body cuddled up to his, feel her heartbeat against his chest, and smell her inherent scent, shampoo, deodorant, perfume, he didn't know or care, it just made her her, with every breath.

The sound of the surf beat against the beach, and the shore breeze brought with it the tang of salt from the sea. It ruffled the ridiculous yellow frill on the beach umbrella that sheltered them from the worst of the sun.

Fully relaxed, he breathed her in and held it inside him, held her inside him, for a moment, purely content, before he released his breath and blew out again.

This was as close to paradise as he could ever find, he decided, breathing her in once more.

He never wanted it to end.

* * *

When Sasuke's alarm went off the next morning, he shot awake in his bed, arms flailing, completely disoriented.

_Where was the beach?_

_Where was…._

He looked down at his hand to find the culprit. With a sigh his brow furrowed, before he fell back onto his elbows, then dropped down to his pillow again.

Sakura's beach pullover, now adorned with more wrinkles, was clutched tight in his fist. Last night before bed he must have pulled out one of Sakura's shirts that he'd saved from their beach trip over the summer, and obviously… _been cuddling with it,_ he realised with no little embarrassment. Ugh. It sounded like something Naruto would do. (Though Naruto would have no doubt begged for the cast-off clothing, rather than… hn… _forgetting to return it,_ like Sasuke had done. And packed it, along with several other items, into his 'going away' luggage.)

Still.

His fingers rubbed the soft, filmy material between his fingertips. That had been the best sleep he'd had in weeks. Maybe even since the summer.

Sasuke sighed.

He had really needed it.

Closing his eyes once more and giving in to the urge, he covered his face with Sakura's shirt and breathed deeply.

He had some fixing to do. Crap. He was a mess.

Quelling the anxiety that had niggled free inside him, he embraced the serenity he finally felt and lifted his phone to check the time. Then flung his blankets aside, leaping from his bed.

"Fuck!"

He'd slept through all his morning alarms. It was ten thirty and he had a client meeting in half an hour across town.

"Where's the fucking cab directory," he muttered, grabbing at his closet for a clean shirt.

Then he stopped dead in his tracks and looked around.

...How had he gotten home?

* * *

Sasuke was racing out of his bedroom to his front door when out of the corner of his eye he saw movement.

"The Hell!" He yelled, skidding to a halt.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," said Kakashi with a pleased eye crease. "You look much better."

"What are you doing in my house!"

Kakashi lifted his book. "Reading."

"No, I mean…" Sasuke ripped a hand through his hair. "Never mind." He grabbed the front door once more, his eyes flicking over to Kakashi. "Are you still going to be here when I get back?"

"Mah, mah, who knows?" He said, turning back to his book. "Do you need me to wash your blankie?" He asked, as Sasuke huffed and slid on his shoes. "I admit, I hadn't pegged you for the type, but…"

Struggling to figure out what Kakashi meant, Sasuke paused. "Blan… " Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Stay out of my room."

"Hai, hai," said Kakashi, waving him off. "Your cab is waiting."

With another muttered curse, Sasuke raced out the door.

* * *

Itachi set his phone down and rubbed at his face.

It took him a moment to notice the soft knocking on his door.

"Come in," he called, straightening. His brows jumped up before he schooled his expression.

"You busy?" Sakura asked, stepping through. He could tell immediately at what moment she got a clearer look at him. Her flushed, glowing face fell as concern filled her eyes. "What happened?"

She looked at the door beside her, and pulled it close, but not shut.

"Nothing," he said. "Please… leave the door open," he said, reluctantly. It protected both of them.

"You don't look okay," said Sakura quietly, drawing a chair up close to his desk. "Is your family all right?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. So much passed between them in that quiet moment before she instinctively leaned closer.

He nodded. "Everything is fine."

She arched a brow at him. "Uh huh." She smirked. "You forget, I'm fluent in Uchiha."

She reached for his arm, and flinched when he withdrew it from her reach. He looked at the door meaningfully; with a small sigh she leaned back.

"I came to drop off my assignment with you for Communications. The Professor wasn't in her office, and the secretary pointed me to you." She set it on his desk, then stood and bowed to him. "Thank you for your time, sensei. Sorry to have bothered you."

"Haruno—Sakura—a…" He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. "You… Have you heard from Sasuke recently?"

Her lips pursing, Sakura shook her head. "No. We… haven't been in touch since he left, outside of one call." She looked at the floor . "When I was hurt," she explained, voice quiet and faintly awkward.

Silence, then Itachi nodded. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

She smiled softly and left, and he looked at this phone once more.

"_Is she cute?"_ was the caption to the photo Kakashi had e-mailed him. "_He uses it as a blankie."_

"_Stay out of his room," _he texted Kakashi back.

"_He slept like a baby with it, last night. I think he's doing much better." - Kakashi_

"_Why are you still at his house?" - Itachi_

"_Ah, I have no key with which to lock up." - Kakashi_

"_Since when have doors or locks been an impediment? Get out." - Itachi_

"_So rude. I'm trying to be supportive." - Kakashi_

"_You're trying to use my brother to lure in high school girls. Keep Sasuke out of your statutory fantasies." - Itachi_

"_You're so mean, Ita-kun." - Kakashi_

"_Moral. Imbued with a sense of integrity." - Itachi_

"Well, that one's a bit questionable," pointed out Kisame, leaning over Itachi from behind him.

To Itachi's credit, he did not jump, in spite of how much Kisame's quiet tread still surprised him. "It's rude to read over someone's shoulder."

"Uh huh. Scroll up. Is he seriously trying to—"

Itachi snapped his phone cover shut. "You're here about the tournament?"

Kisame pouted at having his fun derailed. "Yep," he plunked down in the seat Sakura had vacated, then lifted his nose in the air. And looked knowingly at Itachi, hints of resignation and disappointment in his small, sharp eyes. And a whiff of curiosity.

Itachi glared at him. "The tourney, Kisame." He was not discussing Sakura's visit. He knew Kisame could smell, and remember, her perfume in the air, even if she had only been there for a few minutes.

But Kisame just nodded and offered the paperwork to Itachi. "I've filled out most of it, but thought you'd like a look. They bumped it ahead a week this time, the week after Valentine's Day. It's the first weekend of Spring Break this year, instead of the last.

"To give their members more time to recover," he added.

Itachi looked over the first few pages. "You want so many of the new recruits to join in? You nominated more than usual." His hands stilled as he came across a particular page. "No."

"Itachi, relax. She'd do well."

"No."

Kisame rolled back in his seat and tilted his head, watching Itachi. "Why not? She's in my section. I think she could do it." He smirked slightly. "I think she'd give them a run for their money, honestly."

"She's still recovering from her previous incident. No."

"That's rich, coming from you. And she'll be recovered by then."

"No."

"I'm sponsoring her nomination, Itachi. She's good. I think it'll boost her confidence, too."

"I said—"

"I said to you, that you needed to avoid her," broke in Kisame, his voice turning more serious. "For one term. I know you're not. I heard from Deidara what happened at the club. I can smell her in the air here. You're too close to be objective, Uchiha, when it comes to her." Kisame rested his hands behind his head, adopting a more relaxed, lenient pose. "Let go of her, just enough to let her spread her wings a bit. That's why you're giving her this time, right?" He held Itachi's eye. "Or have you changed your mind about giving her the time she needs to get back on her feet?"

Itachi looked back at Kisame, just as evenly.

Changing tactics, Kisame nodded at the papers. "Did you see who was sponsoring the tournament this year, and where?"

"... Oto Corp," read Itachi. "I thought it was Suna's turn to sponsor?"

Kisame nodded. "Exactly. Someone pulled some strings and made a rather large corporate donation to 'invite' themselves."

"But why?" murmured Itachi, looking at the paperwork more carefully, now.

"Why indeed," said Kisame, lowering his arms. "Fifty bucks says that they try to raise a corporate team and they pit you against your bro." His brow furrowed. "Or Sakura against him."

Itachi said nothing; his thoughts had already sped along that route, and back.

"The RSVP registration date is in December. We have a month," said Kisame.

Itachi nodded.

"Do you plan to participate?" asked Itachi.

Kisame shrugged as a feral smile spread across his face. "There may be an acquaintance or two I'd like to have a face to face discussion with." He quirked a brow at Itachi. "Unless you'd like to call first dibs."

Thinking back to his brother's situation, and how much he relied on Kakashi for his intel, Itachi remained expressionless. "We'll see."

He looked back up at Kisame. "Anything else?"

Kisame watched Itachi a moment, thoughtful. "What's going on inside that skull of yours?"

"The usual," said Itachi after a beat.

"Too much, then," said Kisame gruffly, standing. He heaved a sigh and inclined his head at the tournament registration package. "I've filled in most of it. Take a look, let me know what you think."

Nodding, Itachi gathered the papers together. "It isn't that I don't think she can do it."

Kisame paused at the door to look back at Itachi.

"It's more what others will do to her to get to me." His voice was quiet and even.

"When you two do sit down to talk to each other, maybe that's something you should address together. It affects her, too," said Kisame. "But she's stronger than you think, Uchiha."

"Why do you think I can't walk away?" said Itachi, his eyes conflicted.

* * *

With a low exhale, Itachi scattered the rest of the birdseed under the tree and stood, stretching his legs.

He hated it when Kisame was right. Especially about him and his personal business.

In a moment of weakness—and jealousy—, yes, he had… initiated something with Sakura at _Akatsuki_. But it was not damaging. It was harmless. It was casual. It was…

Shame flooded him. He was lying to himself. How often had he ever lied to himself? He prided himself on how well he knew his own mind, emotions, self. He respected Sakura too much to classify their encounter as casual. The fact it looked casual on the outside meant it wasn't harmless; it was anything but. The fact he had relaxed around someone, around Sakura, did make it all the more potentially damaging and dangerous. Especially in public.

On the surface, it was a conversation, a dance.

But anyone who knew him, truly knew him, would understand immediately the intimacy he'd engaged in. The weakness he'd exposed. The target he'd painted on her back in a moment of possessive jealousy.

He couldn't believe Kisame wanted to expand that target, increase the risk to Sakura, by proposing her candidacy for the tournament. Immediately he felt guilty, understanding Kisame was doing it for Sakura's own good; rather than what Itachi had done… which had been for his own. Like a dog marking its territory, he'd moved in on Sakura when he'd noted Deidara's attention on her. Sakura and Deidara had been friendly at the MA club since that night at _Akatsuki_, but neither had taken their relationship beyond friendship. For which he would never let Deidara know the depths of his gratitude.

No, thought Itachi, he himself was the one who was leaving himself, and Sakura, vulnerable. He had no one to blame but himself.

Just a little more than a month, he told himself. Then, with their roles as teacher and student released, then he could bring her closer, fight harder for her, protect her with everything he had.

Yes, he'd let a moment of weakness decide his actions, for one evening; it just meant that he would have to mind himself that much closer over the next five to six weeks.

Resolution reaffirmed, Itachi took a deep breath of the warm air as he climbed the stairs to his office on campus.

Shutting the door behind him, he was hanging up his coat on its hanger when his mobile phone rang.

His calm splintered when he read the caller-ID.

_Uchiha, Fugaku. Private line._

His heart rate spiked and he grabbed for his desk.

* * *

When his father hung up, seventeen minutes later, Itachi dropped his phone on his desk and closed his eyes.

He wished he were a better man.

Circumstances wouldn't let him be, though.

It was worse that a small part of him was okay with that.

_You disgust me,_ he thought to himself, of himself.

With that, he made a call to the campus police department.

* * *

Itachi slipped into the faculty meeting and took a seat near the back. He had already been briefed by his father, but as all classes for that time block had been spontaneously cancelled across campus, he took the opportunity to see if more news had been released.

Their faculty dean stood at the front, with several police officers to the side.

Everyone's expressions were serious, agitated.

The dean swallowed, and cleared her throat. "It is with great concern that I am, along with all professors across campus, instituting immediately new safety protocols across our departments. You have all heard rumblings and rumours about there being more drop-outs than usual this term. Especially our young women students." Another swallow.

She looked around the room and met everyone's eyes.

"It has been confirmed…"

* * *

That night Ino and Sakura glanced up at the television in Ino's dorm lounge as they passed by.

"Pretty packed in there today," said Sakura, glancing at everyone piled in front of the TV.

"Yeah, and quiet," said Ino, peeking around Sakura. Her eyes widened as she pushed past her and into the lounge. "Oh my god."

"What?"

"Shh!"

Ino waved off the person who'd hissed at her. Sakura took the opportunity to look at the screen and felt her mouth go dry.

The news anchor stood outside the university gates, floodlights bathing the area in overbright light.

"... the scene of what police have claimed could be a serial kidnapper operating around the university's campus. Few details have been released, but sources say the number of young women who've disappeared from their classes and homes, with no notice or clues, leaves them concerned that foul play could be involved. To repeat, at least thirteen women have been reported missing since September from Konoha University campus. There has been no progress on identifying a suspect, though all women were abducted on or around campus bars. The police are asking the public to be forthcoming with any witness accounts or reports of suspicious activity, and are recommending that women between the ages of eighteen and twenty one, of slim build with light eyes and pink or red hair to please exercise extreme caution when venturing out at night. Preferably, they would ask that you buddy up with at least two friends or colleagues, especially when conducting routine errands where your awareness may be more relaxed. We will have more on the developing story on our eleven o'clock broadcast…"

Ino grabbed Sakura's trembling hand, dragging her out of the room.

"Don't," said Ino fiercely, hauling Sakura behind her up the stairs.

"It's—"

"No," snapped Ino, digging out her keys and jamming them into her dorm room lock.

Sakura kept shaking her head, still trembling, as her eyes filled with horror and tears. Ino hustled her into her room and slammed the door shut.

"It's—"

"No!"

"It's him. It has to be him. Oh my god," gasped Sakura, her eyes going wider, "It's because of me! He's doing it because of me!" She burst into angry, frustrated, ugly tears, her fists shaking at her sides. "Oh my god, those poor girls. We thought he was being quiet and… and… maybe he'd levelled out. We thought that's why no one found him. But he's targeting girls who look like me. I can't stand this, Ino. Why is he doing this? What does he want?"

Ino wrapped her arms around Sakura and held her, squeezing her tight. "It's not about you. It's about him. Don't ever blame yourself for this. He did this, okay? Or, whoever it was did it. We don't know."

"It was him," said Sakura through her tears, utterly certain. "I know it was." After a moment she lifted her arms and wrapped them around Ino, holding her close. "How do I stop this, Ino?"

"He can't get to you, Sakura. And now more people know to be careful. No blaming yourself. I mean it. Promise me you're not going to do something stupid."

Sakura felt Ino petting her hair, calming her. "I don't know what to do."

"Have Itachi and Sasuke's parents been in contact with you? Or the police?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not recently."

Ino chuckled as she heard Sakura's phone ring. "Three guesses who that could be."

Slumping against her best friend, Sakura sighed. With heavy heart and arms she disentangled herself from Ino and flopped down on Ino's bed, dragging her bag (and phone) closer.

"Hey Naruto," she answered as Ino took a seat beside her, rubbing her back. Sakura smiled at her in thanks. She wasn't ready to eschew human contact yet.

"No, I don't need a bodyguard… But I could use a friend or two," said Sakura as Naruto broke out in terrified ramblings about her safety. At her side, Ino wrapped her arms around Sakura and gave her a hug.

Sakura snuggled into Ino again and rubbed at her forehead as her tension built. "What's up with you?..." She froze. "What do you mean, something's wrong with Sasuke?"

Sakura and Ino looked at each other. Sakura felt Ino reach out and squeeze her hand, and she squeezed back.

"... how long ago did he cut off contact?" she asked, her stomach curling up tighter than an iron fist inside her.

* * *

AN: There's a note on my tumblr about forthcoming updates, FYI. (beyondthemoor). Sidenote: 'Acetaminophen' is Tylenol. Also, I posted the start to a KakaSaku story ("Incomplete") the other day, for any KakaSaku shippers who may be interested.

Much love to my beta pokesimmo for helping me polish this chapter! See you in mid- to late-October (hopefully), darling readers!

* * *

Reader Review Replies!

SheWroteintheWind: Aw, thank you so much! I tried really hard to make each character 'real' (as much as I plausibly could), so that means a lot. If you do make a glitter pumpkin, I demand pics! Thank you for reviewing!

elojodeshisui: Glad you caught that. ;) Thank you for reviewing!

RavenxScarlet: I try to update this story during the first two weeks of the month, when possible. We're closing in on the parts I haven't finished writing yet, so that may get stretched a bit further than usual starting in November 2015, but I'm trying! Thank you for reviewing!

ThatPageantGirl: It is an *amazing* song, isn't it? I am still in love with it. As for Madara, he was absent this chapter but I hope to have more of him next time around. ;) We're seeing some of Sakura's reaction to him now; poor girl. As for Sasuke… more to come. Thank you for reviewing!

JeanyDeiZzz: Thank you! I tried to make everyone sympathetic /relatable, in one way or another! As for Ino simultaneously sending pics to Sasuke &amp; cheering on Itachi… I'll see if I can cover more of that in the future. In very basic terms, she loves Sakura &amp; wants to see her happy, she respects Itachi, and she understands where Sasuke is coming from (hint). Sasuke was also her friend, too. More is coming with Karin, rest assured! :) Thank you for reviewing!

I'm in here: Thank you very much! I'm so happy Sasuke's internal battles are coming through; I have a hard time writing Itachi &amp; Sasuke, so it means a lot that you commented on that. :) More drama to come, thank you for reading &amp; reviewing!

NovaCole: Yes, yes they did. Well, she did; Itachi's POV I'll perhaps cover in a separate one-shot. ;) Also, yes, the ItaSaku Matchmakers Club is gaining more members among the cast, eh? (Welcome aboard, Konan, hahahah!) Though Shisui and Kisame are probably terrified of her. I'm so happy you enjoyed the chapter-it seems to have been very positively received all around, hahaha! Thank you for reviewing!

ukatoemina: Hahaha, a bit out of order, but awesome! :D So glad you enjoyed these chapters! I considered putting in more details about the Autumn Carnival, but there are only so many side stories I'm able to write in before I start forgetting myself and abandoning the actual plot. XD Trust me, the Itachi-and-Kisame backstory that is part of my head canon? It's another epic all on its own. Oy! I'm glad you're picking up the friendship theme throughout the story, though. :) I worked hard to weave it in. As for who Sasuke called… it may come to you later. Give it a few chapters. ;) If not, I'll reveal around Christmas (in the fic). As for the attraction between Sakura and Itachi, nope, no regrets on my part at all for hooking them up like a hot mess on a dance floor. NONE. XD You have no idea how hard it is holding back from just throwing those two up against a wall in the dojo after MA practice. Or something. Cough. BUT! Thank you for mentioning the 'tummy'-wording thing. I may go back and change that. That's a good point. Kisame's reaction to everything is coming. Next chapter. Promise! As for Sasuke and Sakura… while Sasuke's made some mistakes, let's remember he's young. And insecure. And based on my own interpretation of canon. XD Your request for 'classroom settings' situations between Itachi and Sakura is duly noted. ;) Thank you for reviewing!

loveitasakuxx: Thank you, I'm so happy you enjoyed! And yes, Madara's a creeper, isn't he? He's one of my favourites. ;) Thank you for reviewing!

Hana-Taisho: Yay! You're very welcome. Definitely more to come (for Sakura, Sasuke, Karin, Madara). ;) Actually, an idea I had for Karin (which I'd originally set aside) I decided to likely go for. Just to see how much I can get away with in this fic. As for Madara getting away with the kidnappings, there's a big clue in this chapter as to how he's doing it. However, from what I understand from friends of mine, young adults going missing from university / college is kind of common, to an extent; mostly, though this is from them no longer keeping in touch with family, so their families get worried and call the authorities and ask them to go in and check on them. (This is based on anecdotal evidence, btw; please don't quote me!) And yes, we learn more about Madara soon. ;) As for Deidara, I *love* your idea! Is it okay if I use it? It's perfect! I know exactly where to use it, too. PLEASE?! As for replying to reviews, it is my pleasure. I really do appreciate it when readers review. :) Thank you for dropping me a note!

GalacticBatMegan: Itachi definitely had his day, didn't he? ;) Lucky boy. As for New Years… well, it's not so bad to have a few more chapters in between, eh? There's still plenty coming. Thank you for reviewing!

Uchiha Misaki: Thank you! Good point… Hmm… whatever could happen when they show up? Thank you for reviewing!

raye85: Hahahahah, your review reminds me of a song by Queen, "I Want It All" (I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now)! I take that as a high compliment. As for 'Can it be both?'... well, let's not count our chickens until they're hatched. I'm still working on it. ;) Thank you for reviewing!

Nana: Part of the 'not knowing' is the fun (for me), as I get to try different situations out. ;) Glad you enjoyed the ItaSaku dance! Thank you for reviewing!

Yami no Emi: You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoy! Thank you for reviewing!

Rizu Hatake-hime: Hahahah, yay! I'm so glad you liked it. I do enjoy possessive!Uchihas. And the song is fantastic, isn't it? Perfect mood music. And yay for our supportive female comrades in here! More on Karin coming in future chapters, too. Thank you for reviewing!

Rawr: You have no idea how much I took it as a compliment about that name-typo, hahahahah! Glad you enjoyed so much it made you delirious. ;) Thank you for reviewing!

Lori: Konan is a BAMF, isn't she? :D She and Ino should team up to rule the world. No one would ever escape them. As for the dance, I really tried-the music certainly helped set the mood, eh? Also, I'm so happy you pick up on the different kinds of intimacy that are shared between everyone. Thank you for mentioning that, and thank you so much for reviewing (twice)!

Guest: Thank you! Glad you got the point of the juxtaposition! :D As for the missing people, yes, people noticed (finally). From what I understand from friends, though, it is fairly common for young people to go missing in their first term of college / university when they gain their independence for the first time, mostly when they cut off contact with their families. It can be hard to determine who's gone 'missing' and who's simply decided to flake off. Sometimes it takes a bit to determine what's what. (Anecdotally, anyway, is how this was explained to me in the past.) Good question. : ) Thank you for reviewing!

Violetta-san: You're very welcome. ;) Thank you for reviewing!

endlessromantic: That is a significant, and heartening, compliment! Thank you so much! I try very hard to make everyone sympathetic (to some degree), so that readers are able to identify with them. Thank you for reviewing!

Moonlight Through the Water: Hahah, thank you, and you're very welcome-I'm glad I finally got to work Kakashi in, too. Thank you for reviewing!

butterfly9070: *taking a bow* You're very welcome. *wink* Thank you for reviewing!

animelover5107: I tried. ;) (Music made all the difference in Ch 12, eh?) You're very welcome, and thank you for always reviewing!

Helennnn: (That song is amazing mood music, eh?) And yes, when I saw the outfit, I had to dress Sakura up in it. It was too lovely to pass up! So glad this chapter hit the spot (and thank you SO MUCH for the "WSAAL" update)! And YES, writing Itachi is a bitch; so's writing Sasuke, if I'm being honest. I find I'm still giving them *too much* dialogue, and it is hard for me to keep them tight-lipped/conservative. Kisame is one of the easiest characters for me to write in this. XD Kisame is my spirit animal. Thank YOU for updating, and thank you for reviewing!

Guest: Hello to you, too! :) It's absolutely fine to be a silent reader; I just hope you're enjoying the story! Thank you for sneaking out of the darkness to leave me a note, I very much appreciate it. 3 I hope New Years will make you happy!

AnarchoSyndical: Cough. GODDAMN I want to but I haven't had enough uninterrupted writing time yet. COUGH. Effing kids came back from vacay and took up every waking moment I've had outside of work. :P I'm working on it. HARD AT WORK ON IT. Thank you for reviewing!

ElevatedJewel: You're very welcome; that scene was a lot of fun to write. (And very hard not to continue, on the dance floor, or possibly in the soundproof lounge room in privacy, behind closed doors, where they could have—damnit, I need to walk away from this scene or write side-fic where they just toss each other up against a wall.) XD And you're 100 percent spot-on with Sasuke. I admit, I'm less familiar with Karin but I'm *really* trying to convey and adopt some of her characterizations that I have picked up from the manga. (My grad degree is in cross-cultural, trans-generic adaption-it comes out a lot in my writing. I can't help it.) XD Thank you for the compliments and catching those details! And yes, we have more drama coming. Promise. Thank you for the lovely review, and I hope you enjoy the coming chapters!

AliceCambio: Thank you! And yes, the UST is only going to get worse for the next few chapters. Poor, poor Sakura. And Itachi. Maybe mostly Itachi. XD Thank you for reviewing!

Chachacha: More on Itachi's thinking in next chapter (and some consequences), promise! This one was a bit dense with B-line plot development. Thank you for reviewing!

_Cheers!_

_-moor (September 8, 2015)_


	14. November, Part II

**AN: STRONG READER CAUTION warning in this chapter, darling ones. Approaching "Criminal Minds"-level content.**

* * *

**Chapter 14 - November Part II**

Staring into her locker, Sakura frowned.

It had gone on long enough.

No one had replied to her bulletin board ad asking for the previous owner to come collect their envelopes. Or her Craigslist or Kijiji ads. She'd done her due diligence. It was time for action.

With muttered disgust she gathered up the envelopes in her plastic grocery bag and tossed them in the garbage by the nearest washroom. At least it would be emptied quickly.

Then she hung a few disinfectant wipes inside the locker's air vents, to help cleanse the smell until she had time to empty it and scrub it down with bleach. And more bleach. And possibly more bleach on top of that, because ew.

"Definitely asking for a locker transfer starting next term," she mumbled to herself. In her pocket her phone beeped; a text from Ino.

"Coming, coming," she muttered, slamming the door shut and locking it.

* * *

Kisame stared hard at Itachi as they sat in Itachi's office, door closed, that evening. MA practice would start in an hour or so, and they had to make a plan. But Kisame's patience had worn thin, and Itachi refused to sigh and show he was rattled by the man's disappointment. Kisame had been a nuisance, a bother, a mentor, and become close to family to Itachi.

For all his accomplishments, Itachi felt ugly and small.

Thick arms crossed over his broad chest, Kisame lifted his chin and repeated his question. "When, Itachi?"

Itachi withheld his answer.

"This is bigger than you. Bigger than me. Bigger than her. We need to figure it out to see if there's anything else we can be doing, Uchiha," said Kisame, brows narrowing.

"The police are—"

Kisame's meaty fist crashed down onto Itachi's desk, upsetting Itachi's empty tea cup with a rattle and clink.

"There are thirteen missing young women, Itachi! At least. _At least_. There could be more, and there could be men, too, but the women's profile was so distinct they were able to collect their numbers more immediately. Do you know what that feels like, as a parent? No. You don't. Don't give me bullshit police-fed propaganda," snarled Kisame. "Now, Sasuke fell for her. You fell for her. Madara fell for her. Your bro ain't here, and Madara's a whackjob in hiding. You start talking, now, and we're going to see what we can come up with as to why he's targeting these young women. We need a plan and we have less than an hour and a half to get it done."

Holding himself very still, Itachi mentally reviewed everything. Everything. Every last shameful, festering, exhilarating, anticipatory moment.

Kisame must have read his cooperation in his expression as the large man leaned back and rolled his broad shoulders. He picked up a pen and met Itachi's gaze.

"From the beginning," said Kisame, his gravelly voice more gentle, if gruff.

With a small breath, Itachi braced himself.

"She… Sakura… It wasn't like that. It wasn't serious at first. I respected Sakura. I always have. She was one of the only friends Sasuke had, and she kept up with him and even gave him a run for his money, intellectually."

Kisame nodded and grunted, writing notes.

"She didn't put up with his petulance," said Itachi, his voice softening as he smiled to himself. "For once, he listened to someone other than myself or our mother. I teased him about it. I teased her about it. I don't know if she realised I was teasing, all the time, but she eventually cracked back once in a while. She was one of the few who ever treated me like a person instead of a prodigy."

"When did she sass you?" There was a note of amusement and perhaps awe in Kisame's quiet question.

Itachi's brow furrowed and he closed his eyes. "Behind my back, she would grumble when she was in elementary school. By her middle school years, she would sass me back. Especially if I didn't stop the others from teasing Sasuke fast enough," he remembered. "She would ignore me and the rest of the _Akatsuki _crew most of the time. But heaven help us if we teased Sasuke or Naruto."

"You were a shitty older brother, by the sounds of things."

"Sasuke and Naruto gave as well as they got," said Itachi. "Often, it was Naruto who would start things, in spite of Sasuke's attempts to keep him quiet. Which would set off Hidan or Deidara, and then they would hit back at Sasuke, knowing it would upset Naruto more than if they'd attacked him." He shook his head. "We were all…"

"Jerkwads."

Itachi was about to reply, "Children," but… Kisame had a point.

"But Sakura had a way of sassing that defused the situation and made us feel like the…"

"Pissant bullies," supplied Kisame.

"—we were."

The large man nodded. "When did things change?"

Glancing at the time, Itachi chose his words carefully. "There was a formal dance. She was sixteen. She and Naruto came to collect Sasuke so they could go together. I remember being in the living room, and hearing her and Naruto come in, and Mother meeting them at the door and exclaiming over Sakura's dress. Sasuke's feet, coming down the stairs, just stopped dead."

Kisame made a few notes, and Itachi listened to his pen scrawl across the paper for a half second.

"I was curious. I… She was dressed modestly, but it was the first time I'd seen her dressed up to go out. She, in one moment, changed from being Sakura-the-kid to Sakura-the-not-a-kid-anymore. Not an adult yet, but she stood straight, she had poise, she had Naruto's and Sasuke's attention and didn't even know it, and while she didn't have full confidence in her outfit, completely, going by how she fidgeted, she was fully confident in herself, her intelligence, her friendships. And when she smiled at Sasuke, I realized how lucky Sasuke was to have such unwavering support."

There was a small pause, as Kisame asked, "You were jealous of Sasuke?"

Itachi swallowed his shame. "Hn."

Kisame tapped his pen in the air. "You were loved by everyone in your high school, and when you served."

Itachi shook his head. "I was adored. Feared. Revered." His brows dipped again. "Between the two of them, already, it was love. The three of them. They were inseparable. Not romantic love, but… unity. Parts of a whole."

Kisame nodded. His jaw worked, before he asked, "Didn't you date much?"

"Some."

"You don't sound impressed."

Itachi gave Kisame a look. "They wanted the 'Uchiha', the 'Prodigy', the 'Promising Rich Young Man'." His face hardened a moment. "Fame by proxy."

"So, when she was sixteen you noticed she was growing up; you were twenty. When did it change from there? What was happening?"

"I started treating her like a peer. I knew, at that point, that she would be part of Sasuke's life permanently, by one means or another. I had already moved out by that point," reminded Itachi, and Kisame nodded. "Between the Forces and school, I wasn't home very often. It was only occasionally that we came across each other. We knew each other, respected each other, and left it at that."

"Until…"

"Until just before their last year of high school. She was… eighteen, I think, by then."

Kisame's eyes sharpened. "Legal?"

Itachi swallowed a sigh, then. "I'm not a pedophile."

Kisame's silent judgement wore on him, and rather than fight it, Itachi looked at him and met his gaze. "Just before their final year, we were at our family home. She had arrived early to help with the reunion barbecue, and Naruto arrived and accidentally spilled barbecue sauce down her shirt. She was wearing her swim suit underneath, so she removed her shirt and went back to making up salads and things in her cut offs and bikini top." He quietly cleared his throat. "Sasuke tripped coming into the kitchen, when he first saw her; then he suddenly decided to abandon furniture reorganizing and help in the kitchen." Itachi smirked. "He spent the rest of the afternoon giving death glares to anyone who dared peek around the corner to look at Sakura." He shook his head. "And Sakura didn't mention it or make note of it, even once. She was just happy to have him there, to help."

"The rest of the family were okay with her?"

"No. Some made comments. Others told her to cover up. She punched out the ones who did the former, and flaunted herself in front of the latter. Mother offered her a cover up if she wanted it, but Sakura said the others could grow up and shut up, she wasn't doing anything wrong. Mother went to put on a suit to join her, and a skirt. Father was nearly beside himself. Sasuke was more proud than anything else, though he sorted things out quickly with anyone who looked at her the wrong way, and Naruto laughed at the ones who'd tried to offend Sakura. After he punched them, too."

Kisame's pen stilled. "She took on your entire family, on Uchiha Main House ground, at an Uchiha event?"

Itachi allowed himself a serene smile. "It was glorious."

"And it was after she'd shown her mettle that you were attracted to her?"

"That I recognized my feelings were changing," clarified Itachi. "Before, I looked out for her like a family member. It was only later, afterwards, that I began noticing her more attentively, and found my... behaviour changing. The day of the The Gauntlet run at school, when the obstacle course structure fell and Sakura had to leap off and stayed with us for a weekend; when I misunderstood an incident between Sasuke and Sakura in his room and intervened; when I began staying home more often, and found myself doing it less for Sasuke's sake and more… in the hopes of engaging with her…" His smooth voice trailed off.

"I became possessive before I realised it. It was when the teasing changed to taunting, to something that would instigate a reaction from her, or to challenge Sasuke's unspoken claim on her, then his spoken claim," _which was unforgivable,_ but he pushed down the shame that had bubbled up in his chest. "I hadn't had to work to get someone's attention before. I couldn't stand it that Sasuke had it; that Sasuke had her attention, when I didn't. This… this had never happened to me before, in my life." His brows furrowed. "I'd never been less than first.

"And I couldn't stand that it was to Sasuke."

Kisame was writing again. "So you were flirting with her to challenge your brother, not necessarily show her affection. You wanted to insult Sasuke and demean him, in front of her, to show you were… the stronger candidate?" Kisame leaned back and frowned at Itachi. "That's not your typical MO. For you, I mean."

Fisting a hand at his side, Itachi nodded. "I was a disgraceful person," he admitted softly.

Kisame snorted. "Creeper."

At this, Itachi finally looked away and down, at the floor. "Yes."

His pen stilled, and Kisame looked at Itachi. "You make it sound like some kind of possession."

There were moments of pregnant silence between them before Itachi nodded once more, swallowing. "It runs in the family. There is a saying, that no other clans treasures love as much as the Uchiha." He folded his hands in front of him, in his lap. "It is like a curse; it consumes us, changes us… can drive us mad."

His voice soft, he looked up and met Kisame's critical gaze once more.

"It is true."

Unmoving, Kisame listened.

"It is what drove Uchiha Madara, my uncle, to commit murder when he was younger. He had lost everyone he loved, and it drove him to insanity.

"And it was when he found out about Sakura, through the visits our parents made to him in the asylum, that it rekindled his 'curse'. It was like he thought she was some kind of miracle cure for his madness, and he had to attain her at all costs."

Frowning, Kisame looked back over his notes. "But he tried to kill your family, not her."

Itachi shook his head.

"No, he tried to take us out of the way because he saw us as competition.

"Sakura has always been his ultimate goal. The rest of these missing girls are place holders, in my estimation."

"For what?" asked Kisame.

"Until he was disinherited from the Clan, he had been intended as the heir. It passed to my father, and to me, once he was committed. His only goal, the only one he truly recognises, is to rebuild the Uchiha clan."

They sat in silence another few minutes, considering everything they had discussed.

Without prompting from Kisame, Itachi continued his confessional. "In the ride out to the beach house, last summer, I realized how terribly I had behaved and how much better Sakura deserved. Sasuke's betrayal hit her hard. It made me want to be a better man, for her. It was like I'd forgotten who she was, prior to that point, in my possessive, unsettling behaviour. It hit me again that she was not a conquest, but a person. And I was, too. And that I needed to step up my own behaviour to be worth her attention. I struggled with that," he admitted. "At some point I had become so insulted that Sasuke was my competition that I somehow began devaluing her. And when I realized what a horrible person I had become, I realized that the curse had set in me. I did everything I could to rid myself of it, but even now, it is still there." He thought back to the night at _Akatsuki_, when his jealousy towards Deidara had gotten the better of him. "So, I focused on becoming healthier again, for her. And that… began working. I felt like myself again. Any moment alone, I wanted to reach out and talk to her. I wanted to show her I was waiting for her. I tried to tell her, that it was okay to wait for things, that there were so many wonderful things waiting for her, that she was worth every one of them…"

His brow furrowed a moment. "And the night she and Sasuke were intimate together for the first time, I lost it. I…" _Nearly overdosed on Mangekyou; was only saved because I had a seizure and started throwing it up._

"You what?"

"I made an ass of myself." He looked away. "I apologized to Sakura the next day, but it damaged things. Between herself and Sasuke. Between she and I. Between Sasuke and me. Just after that was the fight with Sasuke."

Kisame's nod indicated he remembered.

"So you took that beating because of how guilty you felt?"

Guilt. Shame. Embarrassment. Fear. Humiliation. Remorse.

"Yes." Then he glared at Kisame. "You're not my therapist."

"No, but this does show a number of similarities between what Madara's been doing, and what you went through."

Itachi blinked.

Kisame leaned forward and laid his two sets of notes out.

"You," he said, pointing to one list. "Had exceptional expectations placed on you, are a confirmed genius, have socially and emotionally distanced yourself from all but immediate family members, are attracted to someone who is from outside the family's expectations, rose to prominence, suffered emotional instability and personality degradation due to a perceived sense of failure or competition with your sibling, aimed to hurt your sibling, inadvertently took out some of this frustration on the person you're attracted to, and then, following a physical confrontation, set about rebuilding yourself into a better man and pursuing your love interest in a more healthy way." Kisame paused before giving Itachi a hard look. "Mostly." He leaned back. "You're still jealous and possessive, but you've learned to behave more socially acceptably and control it."

Kisame then tapped the second list. "Madara. Also had exceptional expectations on him, genius, emotionally distanced, lost everyone he ever loved including his immediate family which probably pushed him right over the edge into crazy-town, took out his frustrations on members of your family when he felt threatened—Sasuke—, and then, somehow while he was in the asylum, he found out about Sakura. One of the other employees there remembers hearing him muttering to himself about a 'sakura', but she thought he was talking about the sakura trees outside. Sakura became his new focus. He has been searching for her since the summer, and I think these other young women are replacing her in his mind, temporarily, until he feels like he has improved himself in some way to make himself good enough to go after her directly."

Sickness roiled within Itachi's stomach. "You're saying he's… using these girls as stand-ins or Sakura-clones? Then what?" He closed his eyes. "No, please don't answer."

"Rebuilding the Uchiha clan," said Kisame anyway, his expression twisted with disgust. "He's practising. Playing house."

Itachi closed his eyes. It made sense. It was just horrendous.

"But how? He needs funds. He needs a place to live. He needs a way to stalk these girls and abduct them. They were all taken from populated, social areas." Kisame wondered aloud, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"These girls sound like they're fairly intelligent; their professors remembered a number of them clearly," said Itachi. "None of them were from my classes, though, so I didn't know any of them myself."

"Me neither. We need to get to the dojo," remarked Kisame, eyeing the time.

Itachi closed and locked up his laptop, following Kisame.

He remained stoic as the Martial Arts club held a somber meeting.

The sensei, normally seated at the front, stood at attention while the students sat in organized rows before them.

"I'm sure you've heard the news," began Kisame, his raucous demeanour exchanged for one of utmost reserve. "If you haven't, I will give you a brief synopsis. There is a predator, a human predator, who is preying on the young women of this campus. The current estimate is that thirteen women have disappeared since September. I don't need to tell you that this is an unacceptable epidemic. The police believe it is the same individual who is perpetrating the crimes, and there could be male victims, too, though that is still under investigation."

Itachi looked over the group. "We believe it is our duty, as part of the Konoha University Martial Arts Club, to look out for our fellow students and colleagues. As such, we are strongly encouraging our members to enlist with the Campus Response Team, temporarily, and the Walk Safe Program, to bolster their numbers."

"All members of sensei rank have already enlisted. You will be paired with a sensei and other non-club members who work in the CRT and Walk Safe to provide a safe escort in and around campus for those who call in or text the Walk Safe centre."

A member in the back raised their hand. Kisame nodded at her.

"Do we have a description or picture of the suspect?"

Kisame and Itachi looked at each other, communicating without words. "At this time, the police have not released one," replied Itachi.

"We are asking all students to report strange behaviour to the campus police department, or the local police," said Kisame.

"Under no circumstances is any member of this club to engage with a suspect," said Itachi, his voice clear, firm and ringing through the dojo with authority. "To date, thirteen individuals have gone missing without a single trace. The perpetrator obviously is quite skilled and is not to be underestimated."

"For the remainder of the lesson, we will be reviewing assailant activities and behaviours, and the safe responses to different threats. This is normally training provided to local first responders and is being provided to you for _observation-skills development only_." Kisame crossed his arms in front of him and looked every student in the eye. "Even you, Captain Kidnapper-Gonad-Killer Haruno."

Sakura, who'd been trying to be inconspicuous, startled, straightened and looked up at Kisame; then she gave him a grimace and a salute. "Aye Aye, sir."

The group laughed; even Itachi relaxed a touch at the levity.

"Atta girl," Kisame said with a grin, and Itachi motioned for several members of the Konoha PD forward.

One woman with short, plum-coloured hair strutted forward and examined the group.

"Haruno?"

"Yes… Ms Mitarashi?"

The woman, Anko, plopped her hands on her hips and gave a whistle. "I thought it was you."

"She used to substitute teach at Konoha High," Itachi murmured to Kisame from where they stood a bit behind and to the side of Anko.

"Let's have a chat when we're done, Haruno. Oh, and a few of the boys want a demo of that spinning crescent and take-down. And possibly autographs—_and would you stop that, I just asked!_" she added, when one of her subordinates poked her in the back for the third time.

"Yes, Ms Mitarashi." Sakura bowed.

"Good!" Anko gave Sakura a feral grin. Then she turned her attention to the rest of the group, threw back her shoulders, and bellowed,_ "Sit down, shut up and pay attention!"_

From their spot off to the side, Itachi saw Kisame wince. "Charming shrew, isn't she?" he breathed to Itachi, only to be speared by Anko's red-tinted, over-caffeinated gaze. Kisame stilled.

When the practice ended, Kisame waited for Sakura to finish her talk with Anko before waving her over. She jogged over and gave a bow in his and Itachi's direction, and straightened, smiling.

"Hai, Sensei?"

"I'm driving you home tonight, kid."

Sakura's brows knit. "Why?" She waved her hands in front of her as Kisame's chest inflated and he prepared to unleash Hell on her for not listening. Instantly Itachi lifted a hand, calming all parties.

"To ensure you reach home safely. He is also going to check your apartment before you enter. Going forward, any night you are not walking with Ino or staying in Ino's dorm on campus, a sensei will be taking you home and inspecting your apartment. There is no arguing this decision. It is final."

Sakura's bluster rose like a storm and she stared at Itachi a moment. He knew what she saw. She saw the deeper furrows that lined his face, the tired eyes, the tight arc of his jaw, the set line of his tense shoulders.

"I'm worried about your safety. Please, Sakura," he said, more quietly.

Crossing her arms before dropping them to her sides, Sakura let out a breath and nodded. "Okay." She glanced between them. "I was going to ask Ino's parents if I could rent out Ino's room from them, actually, so I would be coming home to people soon, instead of an empty apartment," she said.

"Sounds like a plan," said Kisame, clapping a solid hand on her shoulder.

"But how long do we expect this to last? I will feel bad about putting everyone out of their way."

"As long as it takes to catch him," said Itachi. They knew which 'him' he referred to.

"If only we knew. I never actually got to see what he looked like, that night at the cottage… And the only photo on the news from this past summer was taken when he was initially taken into custody and from his trial. They were over fifteen years old. I honestly don't think I would be able to identify him," she admitted. "He could be anyone. He could be impersonating a student, or have stolen a student's identity, and I wouldn't know even if I ran into him."

At that moment she looked between Itachi and Kisame who were once again having a wordless conversation. Shaking her head, Sakura wanted to roll her eyes.

"So, I'll get changed and meet you back here in ten minutes," she said, leaving the pair where they were.

The minute she cleared the doors, Kisame spoke first. His beady eyes were shining, his energy palpable by the tapping of his finger on his arm. "Like she said. What if he was a student?"

"There are campus police all over." Itachi played devil's advocate.

"Looking for Uchiha Madara, yes, but there are plenty of Uchihas on this campus. If they're looking for an escaped mental patient, still in his patient scrubs, obviously he would stand out. But Madara _looks _young. Much younger than what he is, by what you've told me. If he were wearing a student's or professor's clothes, would he stand out any more than anyone else?"

"Still, attendance call and examinations are conducted. A professor would have noticed by now if they had extra students," said Itachi, still mulling it over. Then again, he knew some classes had hundreds of students. A single professor would never know them all.

"That's what I'm getting at," said Kisame, straightening. "Do you have the list of missing male students? The ones who were reported missing by their families, not necessarily by their university professors. Where the university asked the professor to call the student's name out in class, and the student said, 'present', and then just left it at that?"

"No," said Itachi, his eyes sharpening, "But I can request one."

He strode to the storage room-slash-office of the MA club. Withdrawing his phone he texted his father.

"Identity theft of another student. The perfect opportunity to be on campus to scout prey," _and stalk Sakura._ Itachi's teeth were clenched so tightly together his words were distorted. Focusing on evening out his breathing, Itachi forced himself to calm down. He had to reel in his wildly fluctuating emotions. He had to. For Sakura's sake.

Kisame's eyes turned flinty. "We're going to get him."

_I'm going to do more than that,_ thought Itachi as an icy darkness bled through his veins. But all he replied was, "Hn."

* * *

"Looks good, kid," said Kisame, finishing his inspection of her apartment.

"I can make myself some supper now?"

"You haven't eaten yet! We could have stopped in somewhere on the way home!"

Sakura grimaced and shrugged. "I don't have the money to eat out. I have plenty to eat here."

At that, Kisame's brow arched. With a smooth spin on his heel, he marched to the kitchen, yanked open the fridge door, and held it open wide for her to see its meagre contents.

"Usually," sighed Sakura.

"Keep your coat on. I'm taking you grocery shopping."

"No, that's okay, really! I have cereal, I'm fine with—"

"No excuses, kid! March!"

"This is tyranny," muttered Sakura, pulling her purse free from her backpack.

"I will make you do burpees in front of other patrons at the store if you keep whining."

"I'm going!"

They returned forty minutes later with eighteen pounds of vegetables, twelve pounds of fruit, a twenty five kilogram bag of rice, and twelve pounds of raw steak.

"I'll separate and freeze those for you in the marinades," said Kisame, already dragging out Sakura's chopping board after a quick cupboard raid. "Then you just need to defrost them the night before in the fridge."

"I'll pay you back for—"

Brandishing a giant cleaver Sakura hadn't even known she owned, Kisame rose to his full height and puffed up his broad chest.

"No student of mine is going hungry. Ever," he boasted.

"Fine! Then… I'll babysit your kids for you. No charge, I mean it."

He lifted the cleaver another inch, prepared to fight her… then looked to the side. "That might work."

"Your phone's been beeping with text messages, by the way," said Sakura a few minutes later as she put away the last of the marinated meat bags in her freezer.

Looking up from the sink where he washed his hands, Kisame nodded at it. "Show me."

Sakura held out the phone to him and watched her frightening behemoth of a sensei pale as he saw the name.

"You can handle the rest of the clean up," he yelped in a rush, drying his hands on his pants and seizing his keys.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Kisame-sensei!"

"Lock up after me, Haruno!" With that he'd leapt down the hall and through her door, slamming it behind him.

Frowning, Sakura did and then sat down to eat. She bit her lip, then texted Itachi.

"_Um, Kisame-sensei just rushed out of here. Is everything okay? This is Sakura, btw. Kisame-sensei gave me your number, earlier, for emergencies." - S_

Almost immediately, he texted her back.

"_I'll find out." - I_

She ate and watched videos on her laptop, and heard her phone buzz as she washed her dishes later that night.

"_All is well." - I_

"_What happened?" - S_

"_He forgot to tell his wife he would be home late. I believe he was 'chewed out'." - I_

Sakura laughed.

"_Is he okay?" - S_

"_He will be fine. All is well?" - I_

Her laughter calming, Sakura bit her lip. Her heart grew a few sizes in her chest. He wasn't there with her, but it almost felt like he was.

"_Very well. Kisame-sensei took me grocery shopping and helped me pre-prepare some meals. I'm all set for at least two weeks. I'll be babysitting his kids for him in thanks." - S_

"_Good. They are very adventurous, and have mentioned they missed you. They will be very eager to see you again." - I_

She tilted her head to the side. Kisame's kids had spoken to Itachi about her? That was…

She shook her head._ Don't make more of it than what it really is._

"_I can't wait. Thanks for letting me know about Kisame-sensei. See you on campus tomorrow, I hope." - S_

* * *

From his bed, journal folded open across his chest, Itachi smiled softly.

"_Anytime_," he typed.

Then, before hitting Send, he added,_ "Sleep well, Sakura." - I_

* * *

Blushing, and grinning so widely she couldn't stop, Sakura bounced a little on her toes at his message.

"_I will. Sleep well, and sweet dreams, Itachi." - S_

* * *

Upon receiving her reply message, Itachi chuckled.

Then read it again.

Then, with a smile, he put aside the journal and decided to get some rest before his criminally good mood risked being ruined.

The next morning for the first time in a very long time, he woke with a light heart, his hand still clutching his phone.

* * *

For her part the next morning, Sakura woke up two hours early, ate breakfast, and took a deep breath.

Dialing, she bit the inside of her cheek and listened to the ring. Once. Twice. Three times—

"Sakura?"

Surprisingly, hearing his voice didn't cause nearly the horse-kick to her ribs that it used to.

"Hey Sasuke. How are you doing?"

There was a gasp, then the sound of covers or blankets being shifted.

She winced. "Sorry, did I wake you? I remember Naruto mentioning that you got up early to work out."

"No, no, it's okay. Everything… everything is fine."

Sakura's brow furrowed. He didn't sound… particularly overwhelmed. Had Naruto been making up stories?

"That's good. Oh, I'm calling because, and normally I wouldn't do this, but I figured I would ask in case you knew, but we have a new little patient in Peds, and he's from Oto. I talked to him a bit and he mentioned his dad worked at your company. Small world, huh?"

She heard Sasuke's breathing change, and clutched the phone tighter. What was that noise in the background?

"Sasuke? Sorry, did you say something? It got a bit muffled for a second."

"It's nothing," said Sasuke, though his voice had changed. "Yes, we… we recently lost an employee by the name of Kimimaro. He… he had a son. The son was sent to Konoha for medical treatment."

Sakura heard a cough, or throat clearing from Sasuke's side of the call.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

"Don't lie to me, Uchiha," snapped Sakura, nose wrinkling with her frustration. On the other end of the line, the coughing and noise intensified. "I've dealt with you long enough to know when your bullshit forcefield goes up, and I swear I will crush it in person if I need to. So help me, I will find a way to get to Oto, and I will track you down, and I will—"

"No! No, you… I'm fine. Nothing is wrong. It's… There's no reason for you to come to Oto."

But Sakura was certain Naruto had been telling the truth now. Sasuke was a shit liar. He often got away with lies by just not offering any information and letting others over-imagine answers, because he could not tell a lie without it coming across horribly.

Like right now.

"I'm coming to visit this weekend," said Sakura. Her friends would lend her money. Hell, Mikoto would probably give her the money and a new set of luggage, but she'd rather not worry her at this point.

Sasuke was near-wheezing now. "I said you don't need to—"

Sakura couldn't make out what happened next, but there was the sound of a muffled struggle.

"Sasuke?!" Sakura jumped to her feet, grabbing her laptop. She would track him down and send the police, if she had to. That was not the sound of a consensual struggle.

"Sasuke is not available right now," came a smooth, feminine voice. "Perhaps you could call back another time when he isn't stuck in bed?"

For a moment Sakura was taken aback. "Who is this?" demanded Sakura, her grip tight on the phone.

"Karin, give me back the phone," Sakura heard Sasuke's more distant voice, along with more coughing.

"He's not available. But I'm happy to pass on your messages to him once I have him feeling better," purred Karin. "I'm with him night and day at the moment, it's no trouble for me."

Sakura stilled. Tried to swallow.

"Would you still like to leave a message?" Asked Karin.

Mouth dry, Sakura tried to swallow again.

"No," she said, numb. "No, thank you."

"Have a nice day, Sakura," said Karin, cutting off the call. She hadn't even waited for Sakura to say goodbye.

Still feeling a bit numb and fuzzy, Sakura fell back down onto her seat and stared unseeing at the table.

He… he was…

She'd been replaced so easily?

She tried not to be hypocritical but this… this was…

Picking up her phone again, Sakura scrolled through her recent contacts, before choosing one.

"_No more sending pics of me, or info about me, or anything relating to me, to Sasuke. Ever again." - S._

Then, added—knowing what Ino's response would be—_"I'll explain when I see you. Promise." - S_

She knew Ino wouldn't be up yet. But she wanted to make sure this was very clear.

* * *

"I grabbed your mail for you!"

Sakura peeked her head through from the kitchen to the living room where Ino waved a stack of envelopes and flyers.

"Thanks, I keep forgetting to pick it up from the office."

"Um, bills? And they call you a genius." Ino's tone was mocking, and Sakura laughed at her.

"I set up automatic deductions for the bills."

"Because you're such a genius."

"Says the one who can practically read my mind!"

Ino smiled her known, cheshire grin. "That is true."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Anything important in the mail?"

"Maybe. What's for supper?"

"Steak and roast veggies."

"Your apartment's getting an upgrade, congratulations!"

"What?" Sakura poked her head back around the doorway again. "What are you talking about? We spent all summer in here without A/C two years ago because of the 'upgrade' to the ventilation system. They promised it was the last major upgrade they were expecting for about five years."

Ino held up the (now open) envelope. "Well, it's a letter from the building's property managers, with your name and apartment number on it."

"My name?" mumbled Sakura, washing her hands and joining Ino. She reached for the envelope. "Funny. I guess they know I'm the one watching over the place instead of mom and dad. This stuff's normally in their name."

Ino shrugged. "Still, new security system! Perfect timing, huh?"

Sakura nodded, flipping the envelope over. Her name was typed on the front, and on the letter. Legit.

Ino reached for the information flyer included. "Oh, look at these features! Home monitoring, emergency response, video surveillance—and it says it is all included in your rent, at no expense to you."

"That's good, I suppose. Not that I'm really here all that often," said Sakura ruefully.

"According to this brochure you'll be able to log in and check the video surveillance from your own secure web portal."

"That's… actually a pretty good deal," admitted Sakura, peeking over Ino's shoulder. "Oh wow, that image resolution's amazing, if the photos aren't doctored."

"I know, right!"

Then Ino gave her a sly smirk. "So, you know, you could probably make some serious cash off this, later, once you get Itachi in here, all naked, and hot and bothered, and he throws you over the couch while the cameras are rolling…"

The oven dinged.

"Done," said Sakura, weakly. Mental images were… um...

"You're so red," teased Ino.

Feeling more than a little hot and bothered herself at Ino's implication, Sakura pointed a menacing finger at Ino. "You're such a…"

Ino just grinned as Sakura let loose a frustrated shriek, barely restraining the urge to stomp to the stove to collect supper.

"You're welcome!" called Ino from the living room, laughing.

* * *

Deidara stared at his phone, his eyebrows brushing his hairline, his pupils dilated dramatically.

This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

"_Hey Deidara-sempai! This is Haruno. Sakura, from MA Club. Remember me? You asked about me modelling for you in my Tang costume. I have a few questions, and a proposition for you. Could we meet for coffee?" - S_

Blinking slowly, Deidara considered just how highly he valued his hands. And his life. But mostly his hands; because if he knew Itachi, he knew exactly where the Uchiha would strike him first if he caught him out for coffee with his… uh… intended?

(Seriously, since when did Uchiha crush on anyone? The poles must be reversing or something.)

Swallowing and sending off a quick message to a friend—it wasn't a chaperon, just a friendly friend who would no doubt be happy to accompany him and confirm to Itachi he hadn't remotely touched his girl or looked at her with anything beyond completely platonic artistic appreciation and utmost respect—Deidara flicked his bang out of his eye and suggested a time and place to Sakura.

He also took a stroll by the nearest shrine and made a healthy donation, clapping his hands together as he prayed to whatever gods were in the area to please spare his soul, and to please make it a swift death if the Uchiha found him out. Not that he was going to do anything. Ever. Not to her.

… still. A proposition? Hm...

* * *

Stumbling against his bedroom doorframe, Sasuke stared blearily at the figure in his hallway.

"S'kra?" He mumbled, rubbing at his face.

"Oh for eff sakes," muttered Karin, stalking back to Sasuke, a pile of laundry in her arms. "Get back in the bed."

"'M fine," he said.

"You just answered the wall. Congratulations! You just won an all expenses paid trip back to your bedroom!"

"Go 'way," he sighed, trying to push past her.

"Where are you going?"

"Br'kf'st. I have work."

Glaring at him, Karin's brows shot to her hairline as she paled at him in anger.

"Do you even know what day it is?"

"November."

Her brows settled into a solid line.

"Go get 'em, tiger," she muttered, shaking her head. "While you go pour imaginary milk in your imaginary cereal, I'm going to finish your laundry and wash your sheets."

She stalked into his room, abandoning him to his ill-coordinated fate.

He frowned back at her.

Turned back to the hallway to contemplate the stairs.

Let out a long, low curse under his breath.

"... what day is it?" He called.

But instead of answering, he heard a shriek of disgust from the direction of his ensuite bathroom; his head pounded in retaliation.

"WHY do you have women's shampoo, deodorant and perfume in here?" A pause. "Why do you have a teenage girl's clothing in your drawers?! _Worn clothing_."

Sasuke closed his blurring eyes and debated just passing out there in the hallway.

"Sasuke!"

Ugh, her voice was like nails on a chalkboard when she screamed like that…

Then her words sank in.

"Don't wash it!" he yelled, trying to turn around and stop her. "Don't touch it!"

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Madara closed his eyes and stretched out on the comfortable bed. It was a little small, but it was only temporary. His afternoon lecture had been cancelled, leaving him with a large enough block of free time to make a quick trip off-campus to visit one of his favourite places.

It was a cozy home-away-from home, for him. Neat, tidy, clean. He was always careful to set his shoes by the door when he arrived, like any respectful guest, before he made his way inside and made himself at home. Helping himself to tea, cookies. Relaxing on the couch to do his readings and assignments; not that he really needed to, since he already understood most of his course material, but still, it looked good in class to answer questions when they were directed his way. He was Uchiha; there were standards to uphold.

But here, spread out on the bed, he let his shoulders relax and took a deep, cleansing breath.

How many others could boast of such comfortable quarters? This place was so homey. He smiled to himself.

Sometimes he liked to imagine living there permanently. It was close to the main transit lines, quite central, really, but old enough to still be spacious.

What would she say, if he invited her there to join him? He was doing so much better. He'd gotten almost all the bad out, he was sure. Well, most of it. His brow puckered and he sighed. He was working on it. Sometimes, the urges, they just overwhelmed him. But he'd been doing so much better since he'd buried that last girl. He'd really worked out most of it. He'd worked so hard. He was getting there. Soon, he'd be good enough, stable enough, to bring his beloved into his life. They would be so happy together. She was the best thing to happen to him. He was trying so hard to become a good man, for her. The bad was almost all out; he was sure. It had to be.

Stretching his arms and legs out, he felt his back crack and released a groan of relief.

"Ahhhh," he sighed, smiling.

This lovely, lovely place.

His shifting caused a scent to waft up from the pillow he rested his head upon. He breathed in deeply, as far as his lungs would take it.

The same enticing scent from that summer. So perfect. Everything about her was perfect.

Already he felt himself reacting, and he almost huffed with exasperation. He was so needful for her. He shifted his hips, but it only made it worse, being there in that place.

_What the hell, _he thought to himself, throwing caution to the wind, reaching down between his legs. She would love it if he left her a memento of his visit, he was certain. She'd saved all his gifts to her locker, hadn't she? This was even more personal.

He was already naked, anyway, his shirt, jeans, belt and boxers on her floor. He wondered, had she noticed his scent in her bed? Did she think of him, the way he thought of her? Did she do things—his mind raced at the possibilities—when she thought about him? What kinds of things did she do?

Madara's imagination ran wild.

His feelings rising, he felt the growl rippling through him as he planted his feet, the pressure building.

A muffled shout—_"Ngh-Sakura!"_—and he released his excitement with a taut jerk, his body shuddering.

_Oh, yes_, his body practically sang in its blissful thrall, his heartbeat racing to its conclusion.

It was always better when he was here, in her room, in her bed; the hair he'd collected from her brush (and shower, and garbage) wrapped around his pumping fist, her favourite tea on his breath (as if he'd just kissed her), his best photos of her surrounding him (the ones he'd taken of her on campus, with her friends, walking down the street, grocery shopping, changing, in the shower; the security system had been a flash of genius).

She was worth every minute. Her intelligence, her strength, her beauty, her fire. Her pure adventure. She had such a strong spirit. He loved that about her. Everything about her.

With a content sigh his legs fell open and he breathed to calm himself, unclenching his trembling fists.

Unbidden, he felt wetness slide from the corners of his eyes down his cheeks and let out a low, shaky exhale. Again. The warmth ran down his cheeks to drip on her pillow. He loved her so much. He had so much to give. He would love her to his dying breath, and to hers. Soon.

He was so lonely. No one listened to him when he asked for help; but she would. He knew she would.

She would help him.

He would be a whole person again; not some uncontrollable animal.

The clenching in his stomach resumed, and he stirred again—_already? she would never be left wanting when he took her, he'd make sure of it_—with the knowledge of all he was born to.

His jaw clenched as his fist tightened once more, his groan low, guttural as he began all over again.

Yes, he would be completely in control; his fist pumped harder, his eyes hardening.

—Then he'd show them all exactly what he could do. He would take it all.

Every. Last. Bit.

* * *

"Why are you still here?" Sasuke glared at Karin as she sat at his kitchen table, drinking her tea in her cup which she'd brought and left in his cupboards.

"You live in a nicer neighbourhood than I do. You have a spare room or three." She shrugged. "You get regular meals again. I collect your dry cleaning. I fail to see the drawbacks of this arrangement."

"I returned to work days ago. I don't need you."

"Mmmm. That's exactly what the doctor said, last week, when I had to pay him three times his regular salary to convince him to let you stay at home to recuperate instead of hauling your malnourished butt to the hospital. By the way, you're welcome for cleaning your house, and changing your IV bag, and not reporting you when you assaulted me."

Sasuke's eyes shot to hers.

"I didn't—"

"You were delirious. You thought I was some girl called Sakura. You're forgiven for calling out another woman's name once. No more freebies."

His breathing shallow, Sasuke stared at Karin.

She took a sip of tea.

"Get rid of her things. They're cheap."

Beneath the table, Sasuke's hands clenched into fists.

"It's none of your business."

She didn't look at him as she lifted her cup once more. "At Oto Corp, everything is my business, Sasuke." She lifted a finger as he glared at her harder. "You can get rid of them, or I can. If I have to, no one will ever find them. All traces of her will vanish from your life."

She shrugged. "Perhaps that wouldn't be a bad thing."

Sasuke jerked to his feet so quickly the chair he sat on flew backwards and snapped to the floor with a crash. With a snarl in Karin's direction he stormed from the room.

Karin drank the rest of her tea and made a grocery shopping list.

* * *

Itachi's brow furrowed as Deidara saw him and halted mid-stride.

He saw tiny beads of sweat form on his blond friend's temples, his face paling under the bright dojo lights.

"Hey Dei-sempai!" Sakura called, tucking her hair up in a messy bun for practice. She grabbed his arm and gave him a quick squeeze-hug to her side. "Thanks for agreeing to meet with me the other day. It really meant a lot."

Itachi's eyes zeroed in on Deidara's, his face turning to stone as Deidara swallowed, unable to break Itachi's tundra-razing gaze.

"A-anytime, Sakura. Uh, let's talk about that later," stuttered Deidara, taking a large step away from Sakura.

She tilted her head at him, before smiling, patting his arm again and hurrying over to Kisame's section to warm up.

"With Kisame," added Deidara. "Together. All three of us."

He looked up to find Itachi's cold, hard eyes boring into him relentlessly. Swallowing, Deidara nodded to Itachi before nipping quickly to his own section of the gym… on the far, opposite side from Itachi's.

Unfortunately for Deidara, Itachi's gaze was trained on him for the remainder of the practice, never letting up once.

He made sure Deidara knew it, too.

If he had so much as breathed incorrectly around Sakura…

_His hands,_ decided Itachi calmly. _He would start with his hands._

* * *

Burying her face in her scarf as the warm air blasted her, Sakura opened the door to the campus library and gratefully made her way to the small coffee shop on the main floor. A small treat, that was all, she told herself. Staying up late to finish her paper the night before with Ino in Ino's dorm room had sapped at her usual energy, and she really, really needed a cup of caffeine.

Actually, when was the last time she was home? Her cold brow furrowed. It had been at least two days, she realised with a sigh. She should really head home that night to make sure things were okay there.

The lazy queue moved forward. With a frown, Sakura realized she was a bit short on cash when the 'Sorry for the inconvenience, our prices went up!' sign was taped to the front of the POS terminal. Ugh. Why today? Reluctantly, she handed her student card over to the cashier to draw the funds from her account when another's long, dark-sleeved hand stretched around her.

"I've got this," he said softly, handing over several bills to the cashier.

"Oh, no thank you, I can pay for it myself—Itachi?"

He looked down at her, and handed her the coffee. "Hn?"

She quirked her eyebrow at him as she accepted the deliciously warm cup. Then gave in to a small smile. "I owe you one."

"I won't accept money from you, Sakura."

A comment that immediately set her imagination into overdrive regarding perhaps what he would accept, and which she struggled to reign back in. Also, a tiny flare of indignation. She could take care of herself; but she recognized Mikoto's hand when it came to teaching her sons how to treat a lady. Fighting him would just embarrass herself.

_But just this time,_ she told herself, mentally.

"Do you want anything?" She asked.

He stared at her a moment, but no answer was offered.

She knew her cheeks were warming and tried to play it off as the coffee's fault as she took a deep breath of the aroma. "Oh, I've needed this."

"Hn," he agreed, voice low. It did torturous things to her rapidly thawing, now melting, insides.

"So, how are you doing? You here for research, too? Thesis?" she asked as she made her way to the elevator. He joined her.

"Peer reviewing an article; some of the facts do not add up," he said, standing beside her as they waited for the lift.

"Did someone mix up their references?" she asked, looking up at him as her hands remained wrapped around the cup.

"We shall see," he said. "You?"

"Oh, paper due in a few weeks. The hospital cancelled my shift this afternoon since Tsunade was called away, so I'm going to try and get it out of the way early."

"Tsunade cancelled a session?"

"Mmhmm. We were going to look at some of the medical programs on offer, and review where I should focus my strengths and weaknesses, academically, to come up with a fool-proof study plan. This way I optimize my chances of getting into whatever program I want, when it is time to apply."

They entered the carriage lift and Itachi's hand hovered over the buttons, his head turned towards Sakura.

"Level five," she said, and he nodded.

"That is quite generous of her. She must respect you a great deal."

Sakura smiled and shook her head. "I think it is her way of thanking me for helping out so much on the Peds Ward."

"Have you decided to specialize in Pediatrics?"

Sakura sipped at her coffee, thinking over Itachi's request. He continued watching her. Not staring, just patiently waiting for her reply.

"I… I love Peds, but I actually want to specialize in trauma. As sick as that maybe sounds," she muttered the last.

"Trauma?" His tone rose in question.

"Yes. Helping those who've been more severely, acutely injured. A front-line first responder, who specializes in fixing the worst of the worst."

"What made you change your direction from Pediatrics? I thought you enjoyed working with the children there?"

They exited the lift. "Oh, I do, I love it," said Sakura. "I'm just… I think I could help more if I were to move to trauma-related injuries."

Itachi was silent as Sakura led them to the right, down through the maze of neatly organized stacks. She drew her phone from her pocket and pulled up a list.

"I already looked for the ones I need… they should be right around… here!"

"You have your arms full; which books would you like?"

"It's coffee, hardly a handful. I can get them—" Sakura huffed as Itachi looked down at her phone, memorized the list, and began pulling books from the shelves. "I'll tell Mikoto on you."

His lips tugged at a smile, but he withheld it. "She would enjoy that very much."

"She would, too," sighed Sakura, shaking her head and smiling. "Your mom's great."

"She is one in a million," he agreed. "I have four here; any more?" His eyebrows rose just into his loose bangs, his ponytail sliding over his shoulder to nearly reach her as he leaned over her shoulder to read her list again. Sakura bit her lip and swallowed to clear her throat as she felt his warm breath blowing her loose hair against her cheek.

"I'll find a table to put them on. It's okay, once I've put this stuff down, you can head out to do your work. Sorry to hold you up, Itachi."

She hoped that came off as casually and gratefully as she intended, because What. The Hell. Oh, she really needed to slow her heart down; it nearly made her voice catch on his name when he looked at her like that. Also, Itachi's body was very warm behind her, very very warm, and she suddenly needed to take off her jacket, even if she kind of wanted to hide inside it when he was nearby because she didn't understand how he could be affecting her like this. Ino would be having a field day if she were there.

_Breathe, Sakura._

If he noticed her reaction he ignored it, however, and gave his head a quick shake. "I am happy to help you, Sakura."

"Such a gentleman," she said, sliding her bag and coffee onto the table and leaving him plenty of space to put her books down; somehow he still managed to rub arms with her as he pulled his hands away. Sakura's mouth went dry as she caught the faintest scent of his aftershave. _Dear knees, this is not the time to give out, kaythanksbye._ "Need any help finding your materials?"

He shook his head. "No, it won't take me long. Do you need any help finding anything else?"

"I have a handle on it," she said, smiling up at him.

She hadn't expected him to be looking at her so intently as she did so; and Itachi's hand faltered as he drew it back from her books.

"Perhaps I'll see you later. Will you need a ride home? The snow is due by mid-afternoon," he said.

Sakura bit her lip. "I don't want to take advantage of you. Your generosity," she quickly added. _Wow, slip much?_ Gods, she was in trouble. So very much trouble.

And yet, for a heartbeat, Sakura considered what it would be like to tease Itachi the way she was sure he was teasing her; to push his buttons to arouse a reaction in him. Hm. Unsurprisingly, she felt hunger and… something else… something a little bit reckless… stir in her; like a part of her that had been dormant for too long finally waking up.

It would bear analysis, later; but now was not that moment. For now she had to focus.

Meanwhile, Itachi's eyes brightened as he smirked softly at her. "You are more than welcome, any time," he replied, a hint of teasing in his tone.

Sakura made a pathetic noise in the back of her throat, and didn't miss Itachi's chuckle as he walked away with a wave. "Text me," he instructed.

"I didn't say yes!" she called, quietly, so as not to annoy the nearby patrons. Mindful of her surroundings, she pulled her phone out and turned off the sound, leaving it on vibrate. She set it aside on the desk, along with an alarm to beep her ten minutes before the library closed (just in case).

"Hn," he said, and she knew he was smirking again. He returned to the elevator.

"Oh brother," she muttered, opening the first book. Soon enough she was immersed in her assignment.

Several hours on, paper outlined, supporting evidence and references gathered, she leaned back and stretched. As she looked around her eyes widened. It was far later than she'd realized. She bit her lip, wondering if she should still bother Itachi. He hadn't mentioned how long he'd be at the library.

"There's always the bus…" she mumbled to herself, looking up the bus schedule. She'd missed the last of the 15-minute runs; it looked like she'd have to wait for the next one which ran every half an hour. Oh well. Hopefully it wasn't too cold outside.

"A personal chauffeur is far more civil," came a soft voice from behind her.

Startled, Sakura knocked two books straight off her desk; Itachi caught one while the other skittered across the aisle not too far away. With a careful twist, Itachi had scooped it up and redeposited it back on her desk.

"You didn't notice when I came to sit behind you?"

"No, sorry." Sakura's cheeks burned. "I was a little focused."

His smile was subtle and calming. "I noticed. I didn't want to disturb you."

Biting back the, _'I'm already plenty disturbed, no worries'_-comment that was on the tip of her tongue, Sakura let out a low breath. "Sorry for overreacting."

"Would you still like a ride home? Or… dinner? I am going to pick-up some take-out to bring home and finish reading there. I think it's after eight."

It was at that moment that Sakura's stomach made its howling displeasure known.

"Let's get you something to eat. No arguing, this is a thank you for unwittingly keeping me company this afternoon and evening."

"Evening?"

"Hn," he said, eyes shining as he collected her books, bag, and phone up, and tossed her empty coffee cup into the nearest bin.

"I still need to check those out," she said, keeping up with his long strides. The elevator doors opened and they entered.

"What are you in the mood to eat? Pizza, Chinese, hamburgers?"

"Anything is great, for you, because I'm going straight home," said Sakura. _I will not take advantage, I will not take advantage, I will not…_

Her face fell as the elevator doors opened and they saw the storm blowing outside the main hall of the library.

"That's, that's a lot of snow," she said weakly. When she finished self-checking out her books, Itachi neatly swept all her things up in his arms again.

"Hn… Definitely a night for Chinese take-out," said Itachi. "Do you have everything?"

"Actually," Sakura bit her lip before pressing on. A ride was a ride, and she was grateful. "Could we stop by my locker first so I can collect a few things? I'm not sure if the roads will be open tomorrow and we have exams starting next week."

"Of course. Which building is your locker in?"

"Er, yours… in the basement foyer."

He nodded. "I have a staff key, we can use the tunnels."

"Tunnels?"

Itachi nodded, guiding Sakura gently by the back. "They used to be open to everyone on campus. Now they are open to staff and graduate students. The tunnels connect all the buildings on campus. There are some that flood, though, and others that are in poor repair," he explained. "However, rather than tromp through the snow, we can take the tunnels back to the Communications and Languages building." He gave her a teasing look. "No sharing that secret."

Sakura smiled back. "Your secret's safe with me."

Itachi just looked at her a moment, emotions flashing subtly across his features. "Yes," was all he said. "This way."

They found the staff stairwell which led to the sub-basement of the library, and from there Itachi produced his staff keys and key cards. They were soon through the double-locked door, and into a dimly-lit, rounded corridor.

"It really is a tunnel, isn't it?"

"Hn."

"They smell funny."

"The ventilation isn't maintained very well. It is worse in summer, especially when it is humid."

She looked up at him from his side. "How long have you been using these tunnels?"

His expression was calm. "Hn."

"Is there a central hub where all the tunnels meet?"

"There are several hubs to connect the different faculties; the main thoroughfares are larger, wider tunnels. The individual tunnels from building to building vary."

Sakura nodded.

"I can carry my own things," she said, reaching for her books and things that Itachi still held. He ignored her not-so-sneaky attempts. She noted he was not carrying his cane any longer. Interesting.

"We're here," he said after another several turn offs.

"I see we followed the…" Sakura squinted in the semi-darkness, looking at the lines painted on the ground they'd been following. "Is that a yellow line?"

Itachi nodded. "Yes. The different colours lead to different buildings. The heavy black lines on the ground lead to the faculty hubs. The different branch colours lead to individual buildings within a faculty."

"You can barely tell when the light is this dim, though."

"Hn."

He opened the door for her to go through, carefully ensuring it clicked shut behind them both.

"Your locker?"

"Over here."

She quickly spun the combination and snapped it open; just in time for half a dozen manila envelopes to avalanche down onto the messy floor.

"Ugh." Sakura sighed and bent to pick them up, unsurprised when Itachi knelt down beside her.

"Put them on top of the library books."

"It's okay. I have no idea what these even are; someone keeps stuffing them in my locker, but I think they must be for someone else," she said. She looked around and spied a forgotten grocery bag by the exit door. "Hold on a second," she said, nipping over to pick up the bag. "We'll put them in here for now. Geez, I hadn't realized how many there were. I'm sure I threw some out that looked just like this."

Itachi was lifting the envelopes up and weighing them in his hand. Then he pulled one closer, and smelled it, before jerking his head away. "How long have you been receiving these?"

"Since frosh week. I think they were maybe for the person who used the locker before me, but there's no return address on them, or sender name. I tried to talk to the Student Affairs office, but they say no one used the locker last year. Or the year before."

"Sakura, these have your name on them."

"What? Are you kidding me? No one knows I have this locker."

She leaned over; sure enough, her name was written on them but in a hand so light and delicate she hadn't noticed before.

"Your friends don't know you have this locker? Ino, Naruto?"

Sakura shook her head. "No. Naruto would stuff it full of instant ramen, and Ino would use it as a personal stash of who-knows-what. This is my own little space."

Itachi looked at her, then slowly got to his feet. "Are there more in your locker?" he asked, looking at it. He could already tell there were, stuffed here and there. "These are too big to fit in through the ventilation slots."

"Really? I just stuffed them on the shelf before; I knew they weren't mine, so I left them. I cleared them out before; I'm not sure why they showed up again."

Itachi's gaze was fixed on her locker. He pointed at a nearby bench. "Wait there."

Outside the storm raged harder, and they could now hear the winds picking up, the visibility dropping nearly to nil. Even with the building heating running, the air temperature was cooler than normal. Sakura adjusted her scarf to ward off the chill that seeped into her bones.

"I really think we should just head home," she said. "I only need those two books over—"

"Sakura," he turned to look at her, his face calm, but firm. "Wait over there."

With that he turned back to the locker, put on his gloves, and reached in, extracting each and every envelope that had piled up. He passed her the two books she'd indicated earlier, but told her to keep them on the bench with her for now, not in her bag.

"Bag," he requested, and she handed him the grocery bag she'd found by the door.

He nodded his thanks.

"Is there anything out of place in your locker? Anything missing?"

Sakura peeked around his broad shoulders, and he stood back to give her a clearer view. He kept one foot in front of her to prevent her from advancing. She frowned up at him.

"The same mess it always is," she said.

"Look more closely, please."

The tension in his voice was palpable. Taking her duty more seriously, Sakura shifted to the side and looked at the contents of her locker, top to bottom.

Her brow furrowed. "Some of my pictures from my locker door are gone. I thought they'd fallen out… but they're only the ones that had me and a friend in them. The ones of my friends without me are still here."

"Anything else?"

She stretched up on her toes. "I could have left them at Ino's, or already taken them home… But I thought I kept my spare hat and mitts up there, in case mine got wet or dirty."

She didn't wait for Itachi to prod her, now, and her eyes sharpened. "Normally my change of clothes is folded, and rolled up in a bag on the left; now it is hanging from the right, and… and it looks like it's been…" Her voice trailed off. She glanced to her side to see Itachi's jaw tight, the tendons on his throat taut.

"The base of your locker. Is there anything missing from there? I noticed a bad smell from the envelope that was on the bottom of your locker."

"I was going to make a joke about my sneakers, but I'm not going to," said Sakura. Her stomach roiled with a squeamish curl. "And I don't keep anything on the bottom of my locker, in case someone else's locker leaks beside mine."

Itachi nodded. "Thank you." He pointed back at the bench, and this time Sakura went straight there, though with stilted steps. She smelled what he had smelled, now that he'd mentioned it. But she knew she'd cleaned it. Or was that the power of suggestion? She'd noticed the smell before, but had passed it off as coming from someone else's locker since she started cleaning hers out regularly. Ugh, that smell. Like expired sandwich meat, or rotten food or vegetation. And flowers.

Anxiety clung to her, and Sakura wrapped her arms around herself as she watched Itachi kneel again to inspect her locker.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Hn. Someone left their lunch in a nearby locker, I believe," he said, standing after a minute. "Instead of having your things smell because of it, let's move them to my office. We'll ask the custodians to clean the locker in the meantime. I'll give you a key to my office if you need your things."

"You're kidding."

He shook his head. With that he unlocked a nearby storage room with his staff keys, removed a cart, and loaded her belongings onto it in some to-be-recycled packing boxes he found.

"I'm sure I was just careless with my things."

"Hn."

"I can move my things by myself."

"Hn."

"Argh."

After dropping off several boxes of Sakura's things, they returned the cart and locked up Sakura's locker again.

This time it was Itachi's stomach which rumbled.

"Chinese?" she asked, brow raised.

"Hn."

* * *

With her arms full of food, and his arms full of her books, Sakura and Itachi climbed the stairs to Sakura's apartment. "Sorry, the elevator's out again. It's usually really reliable, but it's been wigging out a bit since this past summer."

"Hn."

"You don't need to do this, you know, I can make two trips."

"Hn."

"Fine," she mumbled, though she was grateful he was helping. She fished around in her pocket for her keys, and opened the door. She flicked the switch for the lights, and flicked it again. "Hold on, sorry, the light's out. The building must be having an outage."

Itachi glanced around the hallway behind them. It was well lit. "Does this happen often?"

"No… Funny, I thought the fire department just inspected it, too, when they put in the new security system. I was the first on the list to get one. Oh well. Hold on, I'll turn another light on, further in."

"Sakura?"

"Hm?" She turned to look at him.

"I don't see any lights on, anywhere. Any electronics," he clarified. "I think the power is out through your entire apartment."

"Oh."

Sakura stood there, unsure of what to do. It probably wasn't a good idea to wait it out while there was a snowstorm outside. With a quick glance at her kitchen, she missed the way Itachi sniffed the air and stiffened beside her. "Maybe I should call Ino to stay at her place?"

He shook his head. "I thought you said she was staying at your friend's tonight? Hinata?"

"Ah, oh yeah… helping her choose outfits and things for Christmas…"

"Sakura?"

She looked up at him. "I'm sure we have spare clothes for you at my family's home. You can stay with us there."

Her eyes went wide and her arms lifted. "Oh, I couldn't—"

"You can." He lifted the books higher in his arms. "You will." He stepped back into the hall, gesturing with his head for her to follow. "And you'll do it soon, because we don't want the food to get cold."

She looked at him a moment before her shoulders fell. "It is quite cold in here," she admitted.

"Hn."

With that decided, Sakura collected the food once more, locked up after them both, and followed Itachi back to his Audi.

* * *

They reached the Uchiha main house safely, though not for the lack of effort on the part of the other drivers on the road.

"Your hands will get sore if you don't loosen your fingers," remarked Itachi, parking his sports car in the family's oversized garage-loft.

Prying her fingers from her lap where they'd dug into her jeans, Sakura gave him a pale frown. "Where did you learn to drive like that?"

"Hn. The track. Konan used to be an umbrella girl. I used to join her when Pein couldn't get away."

She stared at him, dumbfounded.

He opened her door wider, helping her out. "You head in and warm up, I will collect your things."

"I can carry my own—"

She stopped herself when he turned away and reached in for her backpack, the food, and the few items she'd brought back from her locker. Like her clothes; which she wasn't sure if she wanted to sanitize or just burn.

Shaking her head before any gruesome, perverted images could invade, she made her way into the family home attached to the garage.

As she looked around for Itachi's parents, Sakura couldn't help but notice the changes to the residence. The differences in paint and wall texture stood out, the fresh flooring which had been installed since her last visit over the summer. The cupboards had been updated, too. They were lovely, modern and stylish, but still a bit like a tattoo that didn't quite cover the true story behind a scar. At Christmas, with all the decorations and festivities, it would be less obvious that there'd been a devastating fire there only months ago. She wondered how Mikoto and Fugaku felt, living there, seeing it day after day, knowing what some madman had tried to do to their home.

"They aren't home yet?" Itachi asked from behind her. breaking her from her rêverie. He set their food down on the kitchen table, then carried her bags towards the bedroom wing.

"I haven't seen them. Was the big SUV in the garage?" She asked, having forgotten to look.

"No. They may be out for the evening, then. Now that Sasuke isn't living at home, they've been travelling more," he said, off-hand. "Which guest room would you like?"

"Oh, just a so—whichever one is already made up," she corrected herself. She knew it was no use telling him she'd be fine on a sofa (which she would be completely at home in, if she were staying at Ino's or Naruto's).

"Hn. Let me get you some fresh sheets. We haven't had as much company since the summer," he replied. He settled her things down on an antique desk and turned on several lamps around the room. "I will return shortly."

Within a few minutes, she chose the first guest room she came across, not wanting to keep looking at the half-finished ones which reminded her of the arson from the previous summer. She lucked out when she found USB charging cables in the nightstand drawer, and immediately set her phone charging. After hanging up her coat, she looked around. She really could use a sweater until the heat picked up.

"Itachi? I'm going to look for a sweater," she called, peering out into the hall.

No answer. He was nowhere to be seen.

Pressing her lips together, Sakura resisted the natural urge to tiptoe that being alone in someone else's house seemed to trigger in her. With calm steps and a racing heart she approached the door to Sasuke's room. Her manners made her knock; not her anxiety.

"Hello?" she whispered.

She opened the door and after a second's hesitation, flipped on the light.

She couldn't swallow over the lump in her throat. It was still his room, without a doubt. His same furniture, his same clothing, scent, posters, books, electronics, shelves and shelves of…

The pictures of the two of them together, still, on those damn shelves. Right beside his bed.

Trying to ignore her surroundings, and the fact that some of the pictures were missing, she went to the drawers beneath his captain's bed and pulled the first one open. They had kept extra clothes for her here, before. He'd returned some in August, but she was sure she was still missing a few things.

To her surprise, she found a treasure trove of her missing clothes—including some of her favourites. Her 'lost' underwear, some of her t-shirts, her leggins, her shorts, and at least three of her nicer sets of bras were in the drawer. Her green eyes narrowed. "Thief," she muttered. "_Couldn't find them_, my ass."

But no sweaters.

With a small grunt she slammed the drawer shut. Then she moved to the next one.

"Bingo!"

She grabbed one of Sasuke's leftover grey hoodies and skipped out of the room without looking back. If she had, she may have noticed several other items missing.

* * *

When her stomach's growling couldn't be ignored any longer, Sakura made her way back to the kitchen. Itachi still hadn't shown up with her sheets. She tried not to think too much about him possibly offering to help her make her bed, because down that road lay dragons she could fight neither very hard nor very long… or very convincingly, to be honest.

She was therefore a bit taken aback to find him in the kitchen speaking to two members of his family who were in full military police uniform. Slowing to a stop Sakura's spine straightened automatically as she eyed the group in front of her, her mind wary and attentive.

"Everything okay?" she asked, her grip clenching on the textbook she clutched.

The pair looked at her before Itachi nodded and calmly added, "My parents asked them to stop by when they were delayed; they wanted to ensure someone was checking the house while they were out of town. They weren't expecting me this weekend."

"Oh, okay," said Sakura, her shoulders relaxing again. "Is it okay if I grab some food and eat by the TV?"

"Please help yourself; I've warmed the food again and set it out for you already," he said. Turning back to the officers, he gestured towards the hall that led to the garage. "I'll see you through the rest of the residence." As the officers nodded, Itachi leaned over the banister and caught Sakura's eye. "I will return soon. Choose a movie, if you'd like."

"Thanks!"

With that she settled in on the corner of the couch, feet tucked under her, book spread over her lap as she leaned against the armrest and noshed on the small feast Itachi had insisted on buying. She had quickly learned not to exclaim too loudly over anything after he began ordering everything that caught her eye. She was a bit embarrassed by her lack of self control when it came to take-out. It's just that it had been so long since she'd enjoyed more than the basic meals she cooked for herself at home. (Drinking with Ino excluded.)

The weight dipping the seat beside her on the couch startled her, and her book nearly went flying (again, that night). A nimble-fingered hand caught it with a small chuckle. "I apologize," said Itachi.

"I'm going to put a bell on a collar around your throat," she said, teasing him.

The considering look on his face, combined with his sexy smirk, sent little thrills through her tummy. "I wouldn't mind you collaring me," he said, voice deep and low and reaching out to stroke her insides.

_Well, there went that pair of panties_, she thought as she was pretty sure they just melted right off her backside.

Sakura blinked at him, unsure how to proceed. Her brain may have short-circuited a bit. She was considering the intention of the collar he meant, and her mind just could not move beyond that point. Crap. Now she was discovering she had a kinky side. Kinkier than she'd thought. She wasn't sure whether to laugh and embrace it or run away screaming.

Or maybe get on her knees and say 'please'.

She barely restrained herself from throwing herself on the carpet in front of him.

"Enjoying it?"

"Hngmm?" She managed. Barely.

"The food," said Itachi, pulling several cartons closer. "Do you like it? Shisui found this place a few months ago."

"Yes. Very good." She sat up straighter and set her book aside, politely showing him more attention. Nonchalantly wiping the drool from her chin. "You didn't need to get so much, though."

"It was late; this way we will have leftovers to heat up for tomorrow."

She nodded. "Did you find what you were looking for earlier, at the library?"

"Hn." He combined some of the leftovers into one container and leaned back to enjoy. "I will work on it for a bit this evening. May I join you here?"

She gave him an amused look. "It's your home. Of course not."

He tilted his head slightly before relaxing and smiling gently back at her. "Try and stop me," he said quietly, before taking another bite from his chopsticks.

Oh, but this was a dangerous game, she thought to herself wickedly.

Grinning back at him, she chewed several more bites.

"So, plans for the weekend?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Not many; the Martial Arts club is organizing a team or two for the spring tournaments, but we have completed most of the paperwork already. I have sent my suggestions and comments back to Kisame to review."

"The two of you co-manage the team?"

Itachi nodded. "He took over most of the teaching this term, and I handled the paperwork. Now we are splitting the tasks once more in preparation for next term."

"Let me know if you need a hand. I'm happy to help," said Sakura, picking up another mouthful of food.

At her words, Itachi paused in his eating to look at her, his expression startled, then softening. "Thank you," he replied.

Her cheeks burned. Not, "That's not necessary". Not, "We appreciate your interest, but this is not your responsibility". Not, "I don't need you".

But, "Thank you". Genuinely. As if he really might take her up on it this time.

"Anytime," she said, giving a small shrug of one shoulder and ducking her head a bit to hide her flaming cheeks.

"Do you… have plans?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, just doing a bit of review and trying to get a little ahead with some of my class work. I find it piles up quickly if I don't stay on top of it. Especially the readings. I found out recently that Konoha U has one of the heaviest reading loads of any university in the country! No wonder I spend all my free time in the library," she said. "If it weren't for my club activities, I don't think I'd see any of my friends. Oh, and MA club tomorrow, obviously. I try not to miss practice. Kisame said he had something he'd like to talk to me about, too."

Something flickered behind Itachi's eyes at her last words, but he relaxed again before she could catch it. "Would… you like to work together? There is a coffee house near my apartment that serves excellent dango and tea. I frequently work there late in the evenings," he said. He set his chopsticks down and faced her fully. His hands were very still, though the casual intensity of his focus caused her mouth to go dry. He wanted her answer. Her positive answer.

His dark eyes held hers, and Sakura forced herself to breathe. And swallow.

"It would be my treat," he added, very quietly. "As friends."

As if she needed convincing. But Sakura was fighting a war within herself. She wanted to go out with him. Be seen with him. Be with him. Be his equal in a way; but she didn't want him to spend his money on her. She wanted to be able to pay her own way (even if it went against his chivalry). She wanted to be able to even afford to go out to coffee and dessert with him; but she couldn't. And she felt the burn of shame that settled in her gut that she couldn't meet him on equal ground the way she wanted to, and how much it bothered her, and how it bothered her more that she wanted to accept in spite of her own egalitarian leanings because she just wanted to be with him.

She forced herself to swallow and shifted her legs slightly beneath her, realizing she'd tightened up with stress.

"Please do not feel obligated," he said. And if was only because she knew him better now, over these last several months, that she recognized the disappointment in his tone.

Instinctively she reached for him and touched his hand. Fire ran straight up her arm to her shoulder before zipping down to her navel.

She resisted the urge to bite her lip. "No, I want to, it's just… I… I'm sorry, I can't afford to go out to eat often. I'm stretched pretty thin for funds," she admitted, looking away for a moment.

"I said it—"

She held up her hand, gently. "I know, but… I'm a bit… uncomfortable. With not paying my own way for things. It wouldn't matter who it was. When Ino gives me a ride, I always give her gas money, for example. It's just… That's… me." She grimaced, and looked back up at him. "I want to, but I don't want you to spend money on me. Does that make sense?" She considered her words. "Especially after you spoiled me with all this food and drove me around all night and helped me clean out my locker, and—"

This time it was Itachi who lifted his hand; and brushed her raised fingertips with his.

"I understand."

Dizzy at feeling the warmth from his body so close to hers, Sakura's chest puffed up before she let out a low breath.

"Thank you."

"Would you like to still work together?"

Sakura bit her bottom lip as she considered his question. "... What about New Years?"

The intensity of his stare pressed against her heart and throat, snaked down her insides and made them clench.

It was a full minute before he replied. "New Years feels very far away," he admitted, more quietly. "I… make my offer out of friendship, between team mates. For now. Is that acceptable?"

"Absolutely." She bit her lip again as she tried to stifle her wide smile; until it drew his eyes. She stopped, blushing.

His features softening, Itachi relaxed back against the couch. "Then we will. I will drop you off at home in the morning, if your apartment is restored. I can wait for you to get changed, and we'll go to practice together, then I'll return you home again. I need to go home to my apartment for a bit, too, but I will collect you for supper—to finish the leftovers," he added as Sakura rose up to protest. She sank back down again and didn't miss the hint of a smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth. "If you'd like, we can study at your home so you won't feel the need to compensate me for my mileage."

"You drive a sports car. It probably gets terrible mileage."

"It is a high-performance vehicle and gets very good mileage."

"For a sports car."

"For a sports car," he sighed agreeably. "Happy?"

"I feel like I need to guard against you spoiling me. Is… At New Years... " She looked at him, her cheeks burning as she tried to work up her courage. "We'll talk about things like this… more… at New Years?"

His intensity softened and he nodded.

"Eat," he said, before picking up his food once more. "I will wait for you," he murmured.

"I'm… I'm okay with not waiting… too long," she admitted, swallowing. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so... Argh. Was there a word for this? Anticipatory? That sounded close. But nervous, too. And… just a little bit… wanting.

No, she thought to herself honestly, _more _than just 'a little bit' wanting. Very wanting.

She caught Itachi's eye and somehow her thoughts must have broadcast themselves straight to him; for Itachi's chopsticks stilled, and Sakura heard the faint hitch as he breathed out.

"I am a man who keeps his promises, Sakura," he said after a moment. "I've kept them for you. Don't ask me to break them for you," he said, his voice low.

"Why not?" she asked after a moment, watching as he lowered his chopsticks.

He met her gaze with his own, the intensity returned in full force and drawing her breath from her this time.

"Because it wouldn't take much," he admitted quietly, firmly.

A heartbeat passed, and silence.

"Eat," he repeated.

She did.

It was a long, long night under their shared roof. One spent tossing and turning, for Sakura. And one spent in long, terse conversation, for Itachi, his head eventually falling into his hands, behind the closed doors of his bedroom. His voice low so it wouldn't accidentally carry past his walls.

"Clean it up. All of it," he said finally. "The locker, her apartment. Make it look like nothing was touched. You have until seven thirty a.m. If it can't be cleaned, replace it with something identical. Bill it to me personally, if needed." He listened to the voice on the other end and closed his eyes. "She is secure and has not been made aware of these… incidents." He let out a low breath. "Understood. Thank you for the update… And… yes, please run the... samples... through for testing. I believe it will match, but it is best to be sure."

When he eventually hung up the phone, he felt furious and sick.

_If he hadn't come across her that afternoon on campus, what would have happened?_ He shut his eyes, dropping his phone on his nightstand and hunching over, his elbows supporting him on his knees.

They needed to make progress on this case.

But where was Madara hiding?

It was like the man was a ghost.

* * *

Itachi nearly crushed his phone in his hands the following morning, as Sakura wandered in, still wearing Sasuke's sweater in the morning chill.

She slowed to a stop, watching the cold fury that spiked across his face, the tension that had pulled his body taut as he slammed his hand down on the counter. Hunched over, his hands trembled, his breathing harsh.

Her heart raced with adrenaline as she saw his fingers curl around his phone, the case creaking in protest.

"Is everything... " _Well, obviously it wasn't okay,_ she thought to herself with derision. Stupid to continue that line of thinking. "What's wrong?" She asked instead.

Lifting his eyes to look at her, her with her wide eyes and pale complexion as she held herself carefully distant from him, Itachi relaxed. His shoulders slid back into their usual fit, his back straightened. He gave her a small nod. "Hn. Nothing. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded, gave a shrug and an apologetic smile. "It's strange not being in my own bed," she joked, and didn't miss the way he flinched. Well, on anyone else it would have gone completely unnoticed; but Sakura had known Itachi fairly well for some time now, and she recognized the subtler action from Sasuke's repertoire of avoidance gestures.

"Itachi? Something's up?"

"Nothing. Police business," he said. "I'll let my father know, when I see him later."

"Okay," said Sakura, slowly. Then it hit her.

Itachi was keeping something from her. Something that affected her.

She pondered on it as they ate quietly, then headed to the garage.

"You should leave Sasuke's sweater," he said, voice even. "You can..." And then, without pause, before her eyes he stripped off his own sweater and handed it to her.

She arched a brow and subtly tried to pick up her jaw. She'd caught the slimmest view of his sculpted abdomen and had nearly had to surrender her underwear to the Gods of Panty-Melting Lust again. This was becoming a problem.

He continued, undeterred or perhaps ignorant of how difficult it was for Sakura to remain standing. "Also, I packed you a bag. I called your property manager this morning and they confirmed your apartment was being looked after, and asked that you please give them a bit more time to finish. He apologized for the disruption."

"Finish my apartment? What happened?"

"There was a problem. It affected the electricity. They are working on it."

"Well, how long are they expecting it to take to fix? And what do you mean you packed me a bag? We were here all night." She stilled. "Or, did you go out?...without telling me?" Her voice trailed off as she glanced away a moment, confusion and unease creeping down her arms and the back of her neck. Her arms wrapped around her body, she turned back to look at him.

The icy edge to Itachi's voice melted, softening around the edges. "When I spoke to your property manager, I arranged for a police officer to go in and collect a bag of your things, to ensure no one unauthorized would be in your residence." He paused, considering her a moment. "I apologize if this upset you. I thought it would be faster and safer, so you wouldn't have to deal with the electricians and security system crew who were working."

"Oh." She nodded once. "Okay."

But it wasn't. She was lying.

He was keeping something from her.

* * *

"Call: ForeverMyBaby"

There was a brief dial-tone before the receiver picked up the phone on the other end.

"Mom?"

"Sasuke-darling! How are you? You didn't call me to tell me how the cooking went. Did you make up enough freezer meals? How is work going? Are you still coming home for the Christmas holiday?"

Mikoto ignored the rude sigh on the other end; hopefully she would have all of the winter holiday to beat such uncouth behaviour from her baby boy.

"A… friend helped me cook up the meals; the freezer is packed; work is work, I got another promotion and some new clients; I'm… I'm not sure about Christmas."

Mikoto's hands clenched on the wheel of the SUV as she swerved across eight lanes of traffic, ignoring the honking and tire screeching behind her as she pulled into a parking lot; over a divider, off the curb, through a small hedge, then into the parking lot, precisely, but, _details_.

More importantly:

"Sorry darling, could you repeat that, please? I think I heard you say you wouldn't be able to make it home for the holidays. We always put the tree up together, and make popcorn for garlands together, and—"

Sasuke sighed, louder. "I'm trying. I just can't guarantee it. If I do, it will only be a short visit, and probably closer to New Years." His voice changed. "Mom. I'm… I'm working now. Things are different."

"..." Mikoto stared straight ahead, unseeing.

Sasuke's voice was distant. "I am sure I'll be able to get some vacation time in the spring; I could come for a few days, to visit. Probably."

"You… You may not make it back for Christmas at all?" Her heart. Her heart was breaking. Her baby boy wasn't coming home for Christmas? This… This was… She grabbed for her purse, rifling through it for the kleenex inside. Maybe something stronger than kleenex. Damnit, Sasuke was always the reason she had to go _straight_ for the handkerchief!

"Mom," Sasuke sighed, and she heard him running his hands through his hair. "Don't get upset. I'm trying. I'll work twice as hard to get my work done early, so, just… don't… don't get upset. Please?"

"Mmhmm," she murmured, her lips pressed together to keep her tears in.

"Mo-om," said Sasuke, as if he knew exactly how she was reacting. Which he probably did.

"You do your best, darling. I'm… I'm proud of you. I'll always be proud of you," she said, her voice full of love and honesty.

There was a heavy pause.

"... I'll be home. I'll come home, at New Years. Okay?"

Her heart gave a leap in her chest. "Yes!"

"I need to get back to work; drive safely, Mom. Please." He stressed the last word significantly.

"We love and miss you, darling."

"Same," said Sasuke, before closing the connection.

* * *

Straightening up from the bow he'd exchanged with a student, Itachi scanned the dojo for any more questions. His eyes were immediately caught by a pair of violet ones; the silver-haired sensei nodded at him and gave Itachi a look that had his stomach tightening. He knew that look. Glancing around he saw Sakura chatting with Kisame—and making notes, he saw, as Kisame passed her a piece of paper and a pen and showed her something on the paper. Hn.

Hidan indicated the Martial Arts club's equipment room-slash-office, located behind Itachi through a sliding door and Itachi nodded, heading there first. A minute later, Hidan entered and slid the door shut behind him. He looked around the room, and behind him, before approaching Itachi.

Itachi watched him, already having an unsettling inkling as to what Hidan wanted.

Hidan checked the door one more time before he smirked at Itachi, lowering his eyelids as he relaxed in his superiority over the Uchiha.

"You know why I'm here, motherfucker. Time to collect."

Itachi's brow lowered as he frowned at Hidan.

"What, you thought you only needed to pay me in fucking money for that _Mangekyou_?" Hidan scoffed lightly, and his smirk turned into a lazy grin. He clicked his forked tongue. He'd sliced it himself. "Business is about relationship-building, my friend, or hadn't you heard?" His knowing eyes shone. "Speaking of, I hear you have a cute fucking girlfriend now. Which is convenient for what I need."

Face impassive, Itachi's gut clenched at Hidan's words.

* * *

**AN: HUGE shoutout to GalacticBatMegan: y'all can thank her for the ABSOLUTELY perfect Madara-theme she shared: Ludo's "The Horror of Our Love". It features prominently on the "FF II" OST. More notes below; now on to the story!**

**AN: Tumblr-news! (beyondthemoor on tumblr) KakaSaku Month (October 2015) and SasuSaku Smut Month (November 2015) are happening on tumblr. Dudes, this is amazing; I'm very excited! Also, on my tumblr I now have an 'Ask Me Anything' page; so if you'd like to ask me questions and prefer to stay anonymous, now's your chance! Have at, darlings. **

**Thank you for reading! Thank you also to pokesimmo, beta extraordinaire, for her wonderful eye and reflections on all the different scenes in this chapter. You help me make this story so much stronger, luv.**

**Let me know what you think of it all, readers. Cheers! See you in November!**

* * *

**Reader Review Replies!**

ukatoemina: Ah! I'm so glad you're catching the references to FF I! :D Also, I agree with you about Sasuke. (Though I admit, when we're young, we have a bit of leeway for bad decision-making.) ;) As for me not referencing Itachi and his drawing, it becomes more important later. Promise! As for the confrontation between Itachi &amp; Sasuke, it was when Mikoto came home from the hospital and Sasuke attacked Itachi. As for the tournament, we'll see what happens. No spoilers (yet)! I hope you enjoyed the ItaSaku moments in this chapter, and thank you for always reviewing!

ThatPageantGirl: Hahahah, I'm so glad you enjoyed their interaction. ;) I tried to answer the envelope-questions (some of them) in this chapter. There's more coming, promise!

Hana-Taisho: Behold, your idea! (Which I am in love with; there are so many ways I plan to weave it in!) As for more ItaSaku, it is coming! Thank you so much for reviewing, and I hope you have a great week!

NovaCole: I sympathise on the 'being busy' part! I'm just happy you enjoyed the read. As for the headaches, it's a stress/not taking care of themselves thing. I'm so happy you enjoyed the brotalk, I worked hard at keeping the feeling of it right. As for Madara, he's getting creepier by the day, isn't he? Hee hee. You're absolutely right about how Itachi is going to react, by the way. ;) Thank you for always reviewing, and have a fantastic week!

craizypet: Thank you very much for giving "Forest Fire" a chance! I've heard a few people mention they were turned off by the summary; I admit, writing summaries is not a strength. XD Sorry. But that you liked the adaptation of the characters (Itachi, Ino) means a lot to me! I worked very hard on that. As for Sakura's spark… keep reading. ;) There were flashes of Inner!Sakura in "FF I", and we'll be seeing more of her again as time progresses. Promise! Yes, the incidents with the kidnappers and the MA club were examples of her coming out of her shell a bit. I enjoy a confident!badass!Sakura very much; we're getting there. Thank you for giving "FF II" a shot and leaving such a nice review!

NtheRuF: Itachi does deliver, doesn't he? Glad you caught the 'make 'em wait' cliché, hahahah! (Though I do think it makes him hotter, sticking to his morals and having honour and sacrificing himself and all, mais c'est ma petite maladie à moi.) I hope your midterm essay went well! You're very welcome, and thank you for leaving a review!

ElevatedJewel: He is a sicko; that's a very good way to put it. He's sick. And yes, this is a super confusing time for Sakura; so much internal conflict! Sasuke made his bed, it's up to him to decide what to do with it; let's give him some time to come around to things. (And see what else he can fubar while he's at it. Should be fun.) ;) He's still young. Thank you for reviewing!

Sanban: If my stories make you want to be a better student, I humbly blush and take a shy bow—then break out my pompoms and cheer you on! Seriously, work hard; you'll be proud of yourself for it (and I'll be proud of you, too). :) And thank you very much for such a lovely compliment! The "FF" story took me a few years to adapt before I was confident enough in it to post it. I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

Playmate11: Sasuke has so many redeeming qualities, I'm glad you're supporting him! Good point about Itachi, too. ;) Thank you for reviewing!

animelover5107: She's working on it! Thank you for reviewing!

Evelyn Fiedler: hahaha, no worries! I wondered if it was you! ;) As for the kidnappings, we're learning more about them and how they're coming into play. BIG clues in the song-prompt of this chapter mentioned in my AN. More ItaSaku moments for everyone in this chapter, I hope they pleased you! Thank you for your review, Eve!

Uchiha Misaki: Hahahaha, well, she's been trying to do the right thing. ;) Thank you for reviewing!

JeanyDeiXzz: You're welcome, my pleasure! I don't know about SasuIno; I think Ino wouldn't put up with Sasuke's s*. Regarding Kimi's gift to Sasuke, you're 100 percent right about what it related to. Kudos, good eyes! :D As for what happened to Tobi, we'll find out later. Thank you for reviewing!

GalacticBatMegan: I adored writing about Sasuke and his blankie. So glad you enjoyed it, too! The Ludo song is on half my playlists at the moment, btw. Thank you for the awesome suggestion, and for reviewing! Have an awesome week!

SKYSPRITE: You're skating dangerously close to a plotpoint with your remarks about Itachi. ;) Careful! Also, I agree with what you say about Sakura &amp; Sasuke. (I loved writing Kakashi in this!) Thank you for letting me know what's been going through your head with regards to the packages, too! Thank you for reviewing, and have an awesome week!

Wolfy-sama: Did this update explain about Madara's hair? ;)

Yami no Emi: You're very welcome, thank you for reviewing!

Helennn: Thank you! And careful what you theorize; you're very close to a plot point, there, hahaha! Their headaches are stress-related and because they aren't taking care of themselves (and yes, part of their PTSD). I admit, I'm still debating adding in something more serious for Itachi in the story (health-wise); but with the migraines &amp; drug addiction, i think he's pretty tapped. I'm so happy you enjoyed "Incomplete", too! Next update is due around… uh… sadly probably close to Christmas. I'm strapped for time. XD I promise I'll make it a worthwhile one, though! Thank you for reviewing!

Guest: You make a great point about Itachi not fighting his brother for a girl! I tried to bring some of that out (his guilt, shame, remorse) in the way he let Sasuke pummel him. I'm trying hard to keep everyone in-character in the AU setting; it's a balancing act! Thank you for reviewing!

Rizu Hatake-hime: I'm not sure about backing off, but we do see Itachi's drug addiction resurfacing (so in a way, he is hurting himself). Not dropping you off Cloud 9 quite yet; that's later. ;) Oh yes, shit is indeed going to happen. I really tried to keep Madara creepy in this. I'm so glad you enjoyed "Incomplete", the new KakaSaku story, btw! Thank you for reviewing and have an exciting week!

Guest: Thank you! Was this chapter's Madara acceptable?

AliceCambio: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too! Thank you for reviewing!

bashfulglowfly: You make excellent points. ;) Thank you for reviewing!

Violetta-san: I followed you back on tumblr! You're very welcome for the update, thank you for reviewing!

Lorienelfy: Sorry for it taking me so long to update, I'm a busy bee; I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much! Thank you for reviewing!


	15. December, Part I

**Chapter 15 - December: Part One:**

* * *

"You're looking better than death warmed over, for once," teased Suigetsu as Sasuke joined the usual gang at 'their' table at the pub after work.

"Are you feeling any better?" asked Juugo. His face was tense with concern.

"Hn."

A feminine scoff interrupted them. "What he means is thank you, he's fine, and what gossip can we supply him with to use against other departments in his ascension to power in Oto Corps?"

The men stared at Karin as she set her beer down on the table. She ignored them. "Juugo? Get me a second one."

"H-hai, yeah, be right back," he said, climbing to his feet.

Suigetsu threw back his head and laughed at Sasuke. "She speaks for you, now?"

Sasuke ignored him. He arched a brow at Karin.

She gave him a bland look. "How're things going under Yoroi?"

"Hn."

She lifted her beer gain, contemplating it. "Watch yourself around him. He's known for sucking the life out of his employees. Most get burnt out within a few weeks or months."

Sasuke's eyes sharpened. "I can handle it."

Karin shrugged. "Anyone who's come into contact with him has ended up a husk."

"I'll keep it in mind," he said, noncommittally.

Karin's eyeroll was half-verbal, it was so obvious. She pushed up her glasses as she drank from her beer. "Up to you."

The next day, however, Sasuke began noticing the truth behind Karin's words. Yoroi did watch him like a hawk. He did pile work and responsibility on his shoulders, moreso than even the other, more established employees who'd been there longer than he had. He fed on Sasuke's success more than Sasuke did, and was always eager for more.

With Karin's words in mind, Sasuke put more care than ever into his work. He also began to notice sharply the effect Yoroi's constant stress and work had had on his health.

That weekend, he still brought his case files home to work on.

* * *

Walking down the stairs, Sasuke rubbed the last of the sleep from his eyes. Five a.m., time for the—

He sniffed and turned the corner to the kitchen.

A full breakfast, with tea and orange juice, were laid out on the table.

"Eat. Your gym bag is packed and at the front door, as are your suit and briefcase."

Karin didn't bother looking at Sasuke over the top of the newspaper she was reading. He heard the link of china and only then did she deign to flip down a corner of the business news. "Hurry up or you'll miss your train."

Blinking once, Sasuke sat at the table and ate his breakfast.

As he tied his shoelaces, Karin held his bags out to him. "Your first meeting is at seven forty five in the Oak Winds meeting room; your notes are prepped so you can read them on the train; your lunch will be delivered at eleven twenty to give you time to eat before your client meeting at eleven forty five; I am picking up your dry cleaning so you can relax and take the early train home, or stay late and work. Your supper will be here when you get back."

He stared at her.

She frowned at him. "Hurry or you'll be late."

With a scowl he jogged down the pathway to the subway station.

Karin loaded the dishwasher and prepared for her own day.

_(That evening)_

At his kitchen table, Sasuke finished his third helping of the tomato side-dish Karin had prepared and leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment. He was very full.

He heard the clink of a glass touching down on the table in front of him.

"Water with electrolytes. And acetaminophen &amp; ibuprofen on the side. You're still fighting the fever." Karin leaned down to inspect his eyes, too close for his liking, but he refused to back down from her. "I'm getting you more juice, too."

"I don't like sweets."

"You should have taken care of yourself then, shouldn't you?" (_Tough shit_, her tone implied, remorseless.)

He huffed low under his breath and reached for the water. Karin took her tea to the sitting room and popped open her laptop.

_(That night)_

Rubbing at the slight headache that still persisted, Sasuke wandered into his kitchen at quarter to midnight and nearly spooked.

"What are you doing here?"

"Working," snapped Karin. "You're distracting me. Get your drink and go to bed. The electrolyte water's in the jug on the top shelf." She pursed her lips at him. "Take another ibuprofen." She turned back to her glowing screen.

"It's almost midnight."

"And?"

Sasuke stared at her. She ignored him.

He let out his breath in a grunt and went back to getting his drink (of electrolyte water).

_(The next morning)_

Sasuke stared at the breakfast table. It was only just five a.m., and another full meal was spread out in front of him.

With extra tomatoes.

"Your gym bag is packed with fresh clothes; your new suit is hung up in the front hall. I polished your shoes. Your first meeting this morning isn't until almost nine, so you don't have to rush to the office after your workout. Here's a map of the area around Oto Corp HQ; there's a park with a nice fountain on the west corner that you will enjoy. Go see it before you head in. Your lunch is going to be delivered at twelve thirty, and your evening meal will be at the steakhouse with the client you met two weeks ago. I've e-mailed you a meeting invite to ensure it's in your calendar. Accept it." Karin poured his coffee and set a plate in front of him. "Also, the cleaner comes around today. Don't leave anything out."

"I don't have a cleaner."

"You do now."

"I don't want a cleaner," he said, his teeth clenching. "I don't like having other people in my home." He glared at her meaningfully.

"I don't like living in a sty." She snapped his cutlery down in front of him and glared at him in the eye. "In that case pick up your shit, Uchiha."

With that she turned on her heel, collected her tea, and settled down in front of her glowing laptop in the living room.

_(That night)_

"Did the meeting go well?"

"You're still here." His voice was decidedly non-plussed.

"Your laundry's done, your house is clean, your gym bag's been aired, your meals for tomorrow are prepared, your mail is sorted on the kitchen table, and I did your grocery shopping." Karin flipped her hair over her shoulder. "By the way your mom called."

Sasuke stiffened.

"I said I was the help."

He swallowed, and relaxed minutely.

"Go shower. Leave your clothes outside your door; I'll wash them tonight," she said, turning away from him as she wrinkled her nose. "You smell like cigarettes and booze."

"It's already nine."

"And?" She continued walking away from him, back to the living room where her laptop glowed on the coffee table. Papers fanned across the table and the sides of the sofa cushions beside her, and her tea set was shoved to the side, half-covered by a report cover of some sort.

"Hn," he said, turning away. He hadn't invited her to stay, and he hadn't asked her for her help. If he ignored her, she would go away eventually.

He climbed the stairs. After a half-second's hesitation, he dropped his worn and admittedly rank clothes on the carpet outside his room. When he exited the bathroom and his room half an hour later, they were gone.

It was several days later that beside Karin's tea, Sasuke noticed a trio of pills. She was still as bossy as ever, however, and he averted his eyes from them. He didn't care; she seemed the same as always.

Then he stiffened. Had she been putting them in his food?

No.

She was always quick to detail to him exactly what she put in his food, whether he asked or not.

Setting the observation aside, he picked up his gym bag and made his way out into the dark morning.

* * *

The night was cold and blustery, and Sakura hurried after Kisame's broad back. He leapt up onto the porch, narrowly keeping his balance when he grabbed at the railing.

"Careful, it's icy!"

Smiling broadly at all the holiday decorations scattered around Kisame's yard and windows, Sakura called out a cheery, "You're just old and brittle, Kisame-sensei!"

"Oy!"

She laughed.

As he unlocked the door, she climbed more carefully after him, gazing at the mess of holiday cheer that had erupted all over their yard. Some decorations were crooked, some were mashed together. They had been heaved over bushes and draped from trees, and a crazy kaleidoscope of lights hung haphazardly from their branches and the roofline of the house.

"Nearly fell off the ladder and broke my neck putting those up this year when Tomo started screaming at a damn squirrel that ran away with his mitten," muttered Kisame, welcoming her inside through the door.

Toeing off her boot, Sakura asked, "Who won?"

"The squirrel, but if he asks, it was him," said Kisame, a glint in his steely eyes.

Their entrance did not go unnoticed; there went up a whoop and a yell, then they heard children thundering up and down the stairs, screaming, "She's here! She's here!"

Sakura's eyes widened at the clamour. "I thought you only had four?"

Kisame gave her a sharky grin. "They may have a friend over." His grin widened. "Each."

Her nostrils flared at his sub-zero chuckle while he hung her jacket in the closet.

Sakura nodded and straightened her shoulders, just in time to be buried under a dogpile of overexcited children—one of whom was intent on licking her arm; another had wrapped herself around Sakura's leg like a koala. She became distinctly aware of something sticky catching in her hair.

"So, see you by midnight!"

In a whirlwind of chaos Kisame escaped his children and abandoned Sakura there in the entranceway. With a screech of tires she heard the van peel away, leaving her to her fate.

Then something just plopped wetly onto her foot and she could not physically bring herself to look down at it.

"Uh, we were working on a baking soda and vinegar volcano in the kitchen."

Sakura looked around and found the eyes of Kisame's eldest, Yuji.

"Is that what landed on my foot?"

He glanced down.

...and shook his head once, looking away quickly.

Later that night, when they'd finished re-stocking their stash of baking soda and vinegar bombs, stink bombs, and paint bombs, and Sakura had guilted them into cleaning up their horrendous mess ("_No, we don't need to test these tonight! We need to, uh, save them for a special occasion!" "You mean when Uncle Itachi comes to visit?" "...Yes. Exactly."_ She would warn him; that's what she'd do. He was fast. He'd be fine, ultimately.), they piled into the family room to watch a Muppet Christmas movie together. She had three different bowls of popcorn with varying butter levels and one that was decorated with chopped-up Twix bars. Tomo, his eyes lighting up delightedly when she brought out that treat, immediately settled himself in Sakura's lap and offered to hold the bowl forever.

"Sakura," whispered Tomo, leaning his head back against her shoulder and looking up at her. His mouth was surrounded by chocolate and she was sure she was going to need to give him a bath before his parents came home.

"Yes, Tomo?"

"Will you marry me? And make more Twix popcorn?"

Her lips twitching as she swallowed her instinct to squeeze him, Sakura winked at him. "Look me up when you're older."

"You can't marry her, she's marrying not-quite-Uncle-Itachi!" said Dake.

"Yeah, Sasuke!" said Makoto, turning away from the movie.

"No, she's with Uncle Itachi," said Yuji with a thoughtful look. His brow wrinkled as he stared at her with intensity. "Aren't you?"

Her mouth went dry. She forced a smile and cleared her throat. "Actually, Sasuke moved away at the end of the summer and broke up with me." She shrugged. "I'm not really seeing anyone at the moment." It was a half-truth while being a whole-truth.

"I thought you two loved each other," said Dake. In her lap, Tomo nodded eagerly, his dark eyes serious.

"We did. We still do; but we're not in love with each other. We'll always be friends." That felt less true on her tongue, but she smiled at them. "We aren't seeing each other anymore, though. And that's okay. We want each other to be happy, even if we're with other people." Bitterness. This is what bitterness and lies tasted like. Was it wrong to lie to young children?... Probably. But it was in the name of Being An Adult. That lessened the burden of guilt, right?

She tried to tell herself that it was fair, since she and Itachi… had plans. But she knew in her heart she still felt hurt and betrayal.

Tomo, however, twisted around and gave her a hug. "We still love you." He mashed his face into her.

"I love you guys, too." She smiled and gave him a cuddle. Okay, yeah, she was never getting the chocolate stains out of her sweatshirt; but it had died for a worthy cause.

Kisame would never notice if he came home to one less kid, right? Right. Because she was totally stealing Tomo and taking him home.

"But… You and Sasuke. This summer." Dake gave her a confused, hurt look.

"This summer was great. And we're still friends. Not everything works out. We're pretty young. We dated because we liked each other. We decided we were better friends than boyfriend and girlfriend. We're okay with that. It's kind of nice to know that we'll always be friends," said Sakura gently. "If he needed my help, he could call me up anytime and I would always go help him."

"But… you and Uncle Itachi…" Yuji watched her far too carefully for her liking. "He really likes you."

"And I really like him, too. He's been a wonderful friend to me for a long time. But at the moment, we're all taking some time to ourselves. We don't have to be in couples to be happy," she said with a wink. "I have loved having more time to spend with all my friends, like Naruto and Ino."

"The Blunder Twins," said Makoto.

Sakura pressed her lips together to stifle her giggle. Ah. It seemed Makoto heard Sasuke that summer. Should she correct that?...

Nah.

"Anyway," she said, raising her voice slightly, "back to the movie!"

They did; soon after the end, Sakura sent the youngsters to bed. (Even a yawning, reluctant Tomo, who asked if she wanted to stay over and sleep in his bed.) It would be close to midnight before Kisame and his wife returned home; Tomo and Dake had decided to share a bunk and read stories together, while Makoto listened to music in her own room. Yuji, however, had wanted to stay up on the computer.

"Until eleven, that's it!"

"But—"

"Nope. All electronics out by 11:30pm, according to your dad."

Sakura looked up at Yuji over her textbook. He pouted but relented with a sigh. "Okay."

"I know you have a phone, too."

Yuji stilled.

"However, I'm going to trust you not to stay up late straining your eyes. Five minutes to check your e-mail—no texting—then bed."

He smiled at Sakura. "Thank you!"

She grinned at him and winked. "Don't forget to brush your teeth."

With Yuji handled, she settled back into her readings, writing notes in the margins with her pen. She kept her writing small and tidy, hopeful that she'd be able to resell the texts to the next term's students through the used bookstore on campus. As much as she loved the course, the extra pocket money would go a long way towards buying the next term's books. She swallowed a sigh. She needed a job. But where would she find one that worked with her study and volunteer schedule? She tipped her head back a moment and shook it, then did some neck stretches. One thing at a time, she reminded herself.

Sakura's eyes were drooping when she finally heard the garage door opener rumble to attention at a little past midnight. She packed up her things and met Kisame at the door.

"Any major injuries that you couldn't splint?"

"No bloodshed whatsoever."

She swallowed her tired giggle at his look of disappointment. He shook his head. "Schools are ruining kids these days," he muttered.

"They were wonderful from start to finish," she said, slipping on her boots.

"Don't make it any worse than it already is," he grumped, holding the door open for her.

"Your wife—"

"She's grabbing the gifts from the trunk so the kids don't see 'em," said Kisame, glancing at the stairs that led to the upper bedroom level of the house. Not seeing any curious heads, he continued. "She'll stash 'em while I drive you home."

"I can grab a cab—"

"Like Hell you—"

"Am I too late?"

Sakura and Kisame whirled around to find Itachi on the porch, one hand lifting to knock on the door they were exiting.

"What are you doing here?" asked Sakura and Kisame in tandem before they looked at each other. Then narrowed their eyes at each other.

Itachi held up his phone. "Yuji e-mailed me and said Sakura needed a ride home."

There was a pause in the frigid night air.

"He still had his phone?"

Sakura winced on the inside. "Yes."

"And you told him to turn it all off by 11:30?"

"Yes. But he may have missed the time or—"

Kisame snorted. "At least one of them acted out." He raised an eyebrow at Sakura. "Though it was in order to help someone…" He muttered further under his breath and waved at Itachi. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Then he went back inside, closing and locking the door behind him.

Shifting her weight to her other foot, Sakura shuffled around to look at Itachi.

"I'm sorry to put you out of your way."

He shook his head and gave her a soft smile. "Not at all. I was finishing up at _Akatsuki_. It's on my way."

"No, it isn't."

He ignored her reply as she followed him down the stairs to his car that idled in the driveway. With simple, neat gestures he opened her door and closed it behind her before taking the driver's seat and adjusting the heat controls.

"Comfortable?"

"As if this car would dare offer anyone a sub-par passenger experience."

To her surprise, Itachi's small smile cracked to a grin. She thought for a second her heart might melt. And... yep. She internally sighed. Another pair for the laundry.

"Well, it does like to impress," he said, leaning over her to pull her seatbelt down. "Safety first," he murmured, his warm, minty breath fanning over her cheeks.

Sakura suppressed the urge to lean forward as she wondered just how much of a farce those words of his were between them.

"Do you need anything on the way home?"

"It's after midnight."

He kept his eyes on the road as they drove onto the street; he opened up the throttle, gently. "You have a twenty-four hour grocer near your apartment. Do you need anything?"

She glared at him, willing herself not to give in.

"The trunk is extra empty."

The struggle was real in Sakura.

"I also happen to need a few things, which is why I asked," he added, his voice sinfully smooth.

"You're a wonderful, awful person, sometimes," she said between clenched teeth and blushing cheeks.

He glanced at her. "And?"

She made a sound of frustration in her throat. It only made him chuckle.

"There's plenty of room in the backseat," he added.

Yes, the struggle was very real, in Sakura.

* * *

"Really. Ever since the power was out, everything's been great," yawned Sakura as she shoved her key in the lock and hip-bumped open the door of her apartment.

"I am merely carrying groceries."

"And judging."

"I'm not judging." He looked at her a moment before his eyes swept over the apartment. He picked up a bag she'd just settled on the floor by the hallway that led towards the bedrooms. She immediately snatched for it but he'd swept it up and was walking towards the bathroom. "I'll drop this off for you."

"You don't have to, not that one, it's really okay—"

"Sakura," he said, his voice somewhat exasperated. "I am not embarrassed by its contents. You shouldn't be either."

Her cheeks burning as she pressed her lips together, she swallowed the urge to curl her hands to fists. "You don't have to," she repeated tightly.

"I'm happy to help you," he said. "I'll just pop the bag in the bathroom. I won't unpack it. Is that acceptable?"

"Thank you," she mumbled, turning back to the rest of the groceries.

True to his word, he returned a moment later and helped her organize her dried goods in the cupboards while she tetris'ed everything else into the fridge.

When she stood and faced the room again, her brow twitched.

"You sorted the fruit. In a very nice bowl." She paused, fighting for patience. "That is not my bowl."

Had he been anyone else he would have shrugged.

"Where did that bowl come from?" she asked.

He was silent.

"Because I'm pretty sure I saw that bowl in the housewares aisle. Tonight."

"...Ah."

Her jaw clenched, she folded her arms over her chest.

"Your apartment is safe for the evening. I'll let myself out."

"Uh huh. I believe we had a discussion about expenses. And me wanting to pay my own way for things." She followed him to the door as he put on his jacket.

"Hn. It was on sale."

"No it wasn't."

"It was when I asked."

Sakura stared at him before the light came on in her head. _That salesgirl never had a chance,_ she wanted to retort, remembering when he'd left her for a few minutes to speak to a sales associate (who had stammered and blushed and could barely meet his eyes). But that would be stroking his ego, and that was the last thing she would ever do for an Uchiha.

He slid his feet into his boots and turned back to face her; and smiled softly at her.

"Get some rest," he said, reaching out to tap her forehead with a gentle finger. It lingered there in her loose bangs, and her breathing hitched at the look in his eyes.

"Text me when you get in so I know you got home safe," she muttered, blushing. His fingers trailed down the side of her cheek before he withdrew, the corners of his eyes creasing with his warm, if tired, expression.

"Ah," he promised.

They stood there in her doorway, their eyes holding, the moment lingering. Sakura forgot to breathe as she saw the interest spark in his eyes; she leaned forward without meaning to, before he turned away and spoke over his shoulder.

"Lock up behind me."

She swallowed. "I will."

He nodded and left.

She was tucked into her nice, warm bed half an hour later when he texted her.

She smiled and sent a quick, "Thank you, sleep well," in response before she turned out the light, exhausted.

And happy.

* * *

**AN: I AM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY. I'm working about 80 hours a week as we prep for the new site launch, and I've gone from 'strip and flip the code on this' on webpages to 'you're now troubleshooting java script' in the space of about 3 weeks. As I've never worked with java before, there was a steep learning curve. (Gods bless Ray, my co-worker, who has not hung me from my laptop locking cable yet for all my questions.) Things are nuts. You are wonderful and patient, and I'm so sorry for the delay. There may be another *short* update for early December 2015, and then a second update towards the end of the month closer to Christmas / New Years. Fingers crossed. **

**As always, I try to update tumblr (beyondthemoor) when I have a free minute. If you're desperate, you can check out the KakaSaku age-bending AU that's hobbling along there in sporadic bursts. Or wait until it shows up here around the holidays. Hopefully. **

**Good luck to any of you finishing off your NaNo this weekend, and all the best as we roll into December! Cheers!**

**(...omg i need sleep)**

* * *

**Reader Review Replies!**

**ukatoemina: **OMG hon, your reviews are kind of amazing (and I feel like I'm immersed in your stream of consciousness as I read them). XD As for raised expectations of men, if they're higher because of this story, then they're where they should be. ;) And yes, Kisame totally sees Sakura as another kid he needs to take care of. Kisame is pretty much the team mom around here, hahahah. He even takes care of Itachi. Which is why Itachi thanks him by babysitting his kids (and passive aggressively gets back at him by turning them into quasi-delinquents). And yes, you hit it on the nose: Itachi learned some driving at the track, but Mikoto was also a heavy influence. So glad you enjoyed crazy chapter 14, and thank you for reviewing!

**GalacticBatMegan:** No matter where and when you read it, I'm just happy you enjoyed it! (Though it sounds like that was a bit of a struggle this time, between Karin and Madara, oops!) FYI, your music tastes/associations for this fic are so spot on, I love them! 8D Thank you so much!

**Elevated Jewel: **Good point about Sakura's introspection (er, the fact I haven't really added much of any…) I'm not really very good at writing internal thoughts (unless it's spastic commentary) or internal monologues and thoughts. It is difficult for me to think in a linear way and that makes it hard to write; I like your comment and will try and work a bit more in, though! 8D Thank you for noticing Sakura getting stronger in different ways, and thank you for reviewing!

**Guest: **Definitely. 8) Thank you for reviewing!

**I'm in here: **Keep your head up at school! It may not seem like it now, but it's worth it in the end. I'm glad you caught that Kisame is more than a buff monster; yes, he's a very smart cookie. ;) As for Sakura and Sasuke and Karin, there's more there than meets the eye. (More later!) Thank you for reviewing!

**Guest: **Gah, I didn't mean to give you anxiety! Sorry! I'm kinda happy you're conflicted, though; it's nice to know that what I'm trying to show is coming out how I want it. :) Thank you for reviewing!

**ThatPageantGirl:** I love writing those moments with Itachi. Absolutely adore them; I'm so glad you enjoy them, too! Thank you for reviewing!

**Aijo Inu: **Boy, do I hear you on 'life'! XD Glad you enjoyed the convo between Itachi and Kisame; I'd been wanting to slip that in for a long time. As for your comment about Madara and Sakura, and Itachi and Sakura and Madara, you're hitting dangerously close to the nail on the head, there. Careful! As for the cliffhanger… you're welcome. And expect more. (Thank you for reviewing!)

**Uchiha Misaki: **I think you already suspect what Madara is going to do. ;) Thank you for reviewing!

**kkstev: **Yay! That's so awesome to hear! I tried hard in this chapter to explain some of the internal conflict that's been happening; I'm happy it is coming through. :) Thank you for reviewing!

**Evelyn Fiedler:** Hello to you, too! Sakura, at this point, is (let's face it) a really smart girl, and also one who is pushing some realities away because she isn't ready to deal with them. The envelopes have been an annoyance, not a threat; at least, so far. I definitely understand your (and many readers') frustration, though! And while she knows she's his target, technically he hasn't done anything outwardly towards her since the summer. She knows she's on his list, but she's not seen him and he has not confronted her; I think she would be paranoid, but not quite walking-on-eggshells, quite yet. Glad you're catching some of the microaggressions, though! As for Kisame, you made me blush. Seriously? Aw man. happyauthor. I love him, too, possibly more than is healthy. XD I promise no Kisame-killing in "FF II". Glad you enjoyed the texting, Karin and Deidara, too! (As for Itachi and Sakura's moment, yes, I wanted to push their heads together, too. DAMNIT.) Please don't ever apologize for long reviews, I love them! They help me understand what is or is not working in the story! Happy reading and thank you for reviewing!

**Sanban: **Hahahahaha, I'm so glad you enjoy the comedy! (It's my strong-suit; drama, romance and suspense, not so much.) I actually haven't watched "Criminal Minds" (or any TV, really) in several years; but I did love how they got into each other's heads. I used to have a stalker, though, and while his intentions were coming from a good place (we'd started off as friends), some of the behaviour I had to explain to him in very clear terms was not okay. Some of Madara's behaviour is based on his. (Said friend-stalker thankfully lost interest after a while; I haven't heard from him in over a decade. *knocking on wood*) Other than that, we learn more about Madara in upcoming chapters. I have plans for him. Thank you for your review!

**animelover5107:** Phew, it was a long update with lots of conflict, wasn't it? I kind of want to pull certain characters around and make them behave, too, yes; but then, where would be the conflict? ;) As for Hidan, I hope you'll enjoy it when it comes! I'm so thrilled you enjoyed the update, and thank you for reviewing!

**NtheRuF: **YES. OMG, yes, it feels like there's too much going on, sometimes. XD "What did you get yourself into?" says my inner voice whenever I pull up this story, hahaha! I actually am trying to make a regular series out of this, in a way; monthly updates, as best I can. I don't know if I could keep it going until the next generation, though that would be an awesome goal if I had the time! It makes me happy to hear the characters are almost as realistic as people to you (if I'm understanding your comment correctly). It is one of my goals! :D Yay! (Congrats on your paper, btw!) I'm jealous of your major; I wanted to study Anthro and took a few courses, and LOVED them! If you write an ethnography on Konoha's residents, I would *LOVE* to read it, seriously! You'd be doing the fandom a huge service (and getting some practice out of it)! Talk to your professors and see if they'd let you do it for an extra-credit; also talk with the language or pop-culture studies area, if you have one, to get joint-credit. That the Naruto world-building is vast and rich enough to engage in such a study would probably thrill more than a few of us here in the fandom. :) Thank you for reviewing, and good luck in Anthro!

**Violetta-san:** Happy you enjoyed the lengthy chapter! As for the tension, yes, it is building from here on out, in little ways, as is Madara's hysteria. I'll pop in happy moments, too, I promise! Thank you for reviewing!

**Helennn: **Oh hon, good luck with school and work; you have your trouble cut out for you! I'm glad the update cheered you up a bit. :) Protective!Itachi is wonderful to write, eh? Good luck with things IRL and happy writing! (Don't forget to sleep!) Thank you for reviewing!

**SANAA: **I'm so happy you enjoyed! Thank you for reviewing!

**katsreddawn: **Emphasis on the crazy, eh? (I enjoy writing Creepy!Madara, too. Glad he's coming across well.) I think Sasuke's slowly coming around and extracting his swollen head from his backside; this is a long, painful, drawn-out process for Uchihas and requires a lot of blunt force trauma to the ego to be successful. XD Sasuke isn't down for the count, he's just got some growing up to do. Thank you for reviewing!

**NovaCole:** Best reaction first-line, ever. XD That seems to have been the most common reaction I've had to this chapter (and Madara), hahahah! You're right on the money with Karin. Also, you had me laughing about your reaction to Sakura's noticing Itachi's hotness (finally). XD As for Hidan and the Shady Deal… I hope you enjoy. Nicely played with using my own dialogue against me, hahahahaha! Kudos! XD Take care &amp; thank you for reviewing!

**Yami no Emi:** Score! (I'm glad you enjoyed Madara &amp; the rest of the chapter.) Thank you for reviewing!

**Hana-Taisho: ***bows* The Panty Melting God in action! (We all need one.) Madara isn't a dirty person, exactly, he's just… not very good with impulse control or decision making. Or life in general. XD I like your idea of showing Ino flipping out on Sasuke; I'll see what I can splice in. ;) Thank you for the suggestions, hahaha! Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you have a great day.

**constancexx:** I'm so glad you liked it (and that it freaked you out). ;) Hahaha! Thank you for reviewing!

**AliceCambio:** So glad you enjoyed the little details from the Madara scene! I hope this chapter met your expectations, too. Thank you for reviewing!

**raye85: **With Hidan, sometimes we don't know what to expect, or if we want to know what to expect. XD He's a double-edged sword. Also, thank you for mentioning that you always look forward to my updates; that means so much to me! As for freaking you out, part of me wants to apologize, while the rest of me wants to cheer and fist-bump my muse. XD Forgive me. Thank you for reviewing!


	16. December, Part II

**Chapter 16 - December, Part II**

Her heart fluttering in her chest, Sakura approached the proctors' desk. Several pairs of eyes watched her as she offered her paper, and the Communications professor's expression softened as she nodded at Sakura in recognition.

"I will take that from you, you can put it here," she said, pointing to the pile in front of Sakura.

"Thank you," Sakura replied, setting down her paper and signing her name on the participant list.

"Have a great holiday, and good luck in your studies."

"Thank you. Have a good break with your family," Sakura said, setting down the pen and smiling. _Done. _She let out a small breath of relief as she headed for the door. She resisted the urge to turn back and look at one particular set of dark eyes.

Her final exam of her first term of university complete, Sakura looked up to see Ino waiting for her at the doors of the lecture hall. The blond looked just as tired as Sakura—they had spent a good chunk of the night before studying together at Sakura's apartment—and slung her arm through Sakura's as they left.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," said Ino as they headed for the bus stop to return to Sakura's. "But… how about we recharge for like… just an hour. Or two. Before we go to the clubs. That way we're at ultimate energy level for slaying tonight."

Sakura laughed. "I think that sounds great."

"I'm crashing with you in your bed."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You just want to cuddle."

"I'm so exhausted I'm not even going to sass back about that. And yes, I want cuddles. Cuddles are the best for charging my batteries."

Sakura shook her head. "Better not let the boys hear you say that."

"I don't care about boys right now. Or girls. Just bed," yawned Ino into her elbow. She lay her head on Sakura's shoulder. "Lemme know when the bus gets here. I'm just gonna close my eyes for a sec…"

Sakura's tired, itchy eyes twitched as Ino's loose flyaways caught in her eyelashes and tickled her nose before she gave in and rested her cheek on Ino's head.

"Your head is heavy," mumbled Ino, eyes closed.

"Mmhmm. Because of my giant brain," yawned Sakura. Her eyes drifted shut as they stood there, huddled together in the cold December air as they waited for the bus. "I'm smart, you know."

Ino snorted softly, her shoulders shaking with mirth. "I know."

Deep inside her, though, Sakura reveled in the closeness of her friend, the relief of the end of her exams, and the anticipation of the holidays. Her lips spread wider with her sleepy smile.

* * *

"Forehead."

"Mmm?"

"Forehead, your phone's been beeping like a schizo-bomb-timer for the last ten minutes."

Groaning from under the warm covers she shared with Ino, Sakura frowned. "Dun wanna deal."

A pause.

The beeping continued.

"Whatever. I know your password anyway. Oh, it looks like Itachi—"

Sakura shot up and whipped the covers away. "Gimme."

Ino leaned away from Sakura as she stretched over the edge of the bed, holding the phone away. "And he's messaged you a few times. So has that Kisame guy."

Stumbling as she tried to get up from the bed, still groggy with fatigue, Sakura set her jaw. "Gimme the phone, Pig."

"Mmmmm, no. Oh, you also have some pics here I haven't seen…"

"Give it. Give it, give it, give it!" Sakura scrambled across the mess of covers, but Ino had wiggled free and dashed down the hall.

The situation turned more dire when Sakura's phone started ringing.

And Sakura immediately recognized that ring.

"It's Itachi, Forehead! Should I answer?" called Ino. "Oh, I know where this song's from! You naughty girl, I knew you had it in you!"

Her cheeks flooded with heat as Ciara's, "Let's Dance Like We're Making Love" chimed through the apartment. Sakura tore after Ino like the hounds of Hell were at her heels. The phone continued ringing.

Then worse, it stopped.

"Hello, Itachi? This is Ino—why yes, how are you?"

Cussing under her breath, she leapt over the couch and tackled Ino when she reached the living room, heedless of the din it likely made with the neighbours downstairs. "Gimme, Ino! Damnit!"

Ino, sprawled on the couch under Sakura, tried to hold a conversation while Sakura put her in a headlock. "Nghph, sorry, could you repeat that? Sakura's choking me. She's jealous of my utter flawlessness again."

"I swear to God I will shave your head and eyebrows if you don't give me the phone." Sakura panted as she twisted her arm tighter.

"Do you know what Sakura chose as the ringtone for your calls? Urk. So, here's Sakura. Tata for now!"

With a huff, Sakura grabbed the phone from Ino and released her best friend. She shifted and let Ino think she could crawl free before plonking her full body weight down on the blond again with a smirk. Ino grunted in pain.

"Is everything okay over there?" asked Itachi when Sakura brought the phone to her ear.

"Hey, yeah, just some girl time."

Ino cursed fluently and Sakura shifted her weight, crushing Ino's hip. The blond howled.

"So, what's up?" she asked, ignoring her best friend.

Ino tried to push herself up far enough for her mouth to clear the cushion she'd been mashed into. "Sisters before misters, you traitorous whore!"

"Love you, too, Ino-pig."

Itachi cleared his throat. "I am on speakerphone with Kisame's children, and we'd like to invite you over for a Christmas party this evening."

Sakura and Ino's eyes shot to each other as each paled.

There was a moment of tense silence, like a wafer-thin layer of ice that no one dared break… until Tomo's little voice piped up, over the speakerphone.

"Sakura, what's a traitorous—"

"Horse! I said horse!" gasped Ino, horror-struck. Whether at the thought of corrupting so innocent and perfect a child as Tomo, or at the thought of what Kisame would do to her later in retaliation, Sakura could only guess.

"No you didn't!" burst out Dake. "I heard you! You said—"

"It's wrong to lie, Auntie Ino," sighed Motoko.

Ino's look turned aghast. Sakura closed her eyes and counted to ten.

Itachi gave a minuscule sigh over the line. "I am happy to collect you later if you'd like to join us. Friends and family." There was another pause. "If Ino would like a ride home first, it can be arranged."

"That's 'Big Sis' Ino!"

"Ino," muttered Sakura, patting her friend's head. "Let it go. If you're going to be an auntie, be a great one."

"I was born great!"

"More like spawned in a fish hatchery for how slippery you are—"

"Makoto," warned Itachi.

"She is, though."

"Why you little—Gimme the phone, Sakura! Give it!"

"I promised Ino I'd go out with her tonight," began Sakura in an apologetic, strained tone as she shoved a struggling Ino down again. "What time?"

"From six pee-ehm to…" Tomo's little voice, so full of importance at sharing the details, trailed off as he whispered back and forth with Itachi. "Oh yeah. From six pee-ehm to eight thirty pee-ehm. If you want, you can bring a snack to share. Oh! I asked Mommy to get some Twix bars. Just in case." He whispered the last with a secretive grin, she knew it. She could hear it in his voice, like he thought he was being sneaky.

Yeah, Kisame was so losing a kid that night. She'd sneak Tomo into the bar with her and Ino, no one would notice.

"You shared the Twix-popcorn-thing with them?" came Ino's indignant shout from the muffling cushions. "You traitorous—"

Sakura raised her voice to speak over Ino. "That I can do. Could you give me a ride, please? And yes, Ino would like a ride. And I'd like a ride to rejoin Ino later from her place."

"Aw, come on, you promised," whined Ino, going limp under Sakura's weight. "You promised! Girl time!"

Ino was right, Sakura thought as guilt wound through her gut. "We wouldn't be getting ready until then anyway. This way you can choose my outfit."

"No," said Itachi immediately.

"Hell yes!" burst out Ino, reinvigorated.

"I'll see you around quarter to six," said Itachi.

"See you then," said Sakura, smiling.

"Bye Sakura!" hollered Tomo. "I have a sur—I mean, I'll see you tonight!"

"Way to go, you almost told her!"

"No I didn't!"

"Yes you did!"

"Who wants ice cream?" asked Itachi. The children exploded with enthusiastic shouting.

Sakura giggled as they hung up.

"I'll try and leave early. I promise," sighed Sakura as she leaned back and lay down on Ino.

"You promised."

"I know. I'm sorry." She petted Ino's hair. "You can make me super slutty tonight, okay?"

"Oh, you have no idea. I'm going into the depraved section of my closet for you, sister. You broke the girl-code."

"Technically, this is children before… kids before…" Her brow furrowed as she yawned. "Hmm."

"Bitches before britches?"

"Sounds good," yawned Sakura as she snuggled into Ino. "You're all bony."

Ino snorted. "You're on my wrong side."

"Whatever. Nap?"

"Get the fluffy blanket," yawned Ino. "I can't reach with you pinning my arms."

"Oh, right. Sorry. Here."

"Much better. Okay, set your clock for an hour or so from now or whatever." Ino closed her eyes again, and Sakura did the same after setting the alarm on her phone.

They continued their snooze there on the couch... and missed the alarm.

* * *

—which was why Tomo's eyes lit up with delight when he answered the door that night and Sakura was forced to pause in her grooming to smile down at him.

"Wow, I've never seen hair like that before, Sakura! I like how it's all smooshed on one side, and really puffy on the other! It looks like cotton candy!"

She ignored Kisame's roar of laughter as she bent down to give Tomo a big hug. "I've missed you!"

He hugged her straight back; and wrapped his legs around her, koala-style. He refused to let go and Sakura laughed as she straightened and his grip held firm.

"Tomo," began Itachi, his voice a little more tired than usual.

"No, no, it's okay," Sakura grinned, scooping Tomo up onto her hip. "I hear you have Twix bars," she mock-whispered. Tomo nodded his head, eyes bright. "What ever do you think we should do with them?" she continued, pretending to look around to check for spies.

Leaning in real close, Tomo cupped Sakura's ears, giggling, and whispered, "Twix popcorn! Please!"

Sakura winked at him. "I think we can make it happen." She gave Kisame a look as she passed him. "Hi Kisame-sensei!"

To her surprise, he reached out and ruffled her hair until it was an even worse mess. "Welcome back, kid."

Her ire softening she relaxed and shuffled to the kitchen with Tomo. "All right, break out the Twix bars. This is important business!"

"Important business!" cheered Tomo.

Arriving in the kitchen, Sakura loosened her grip on Tomo and leaned to the side to let him down. "Um… I need to put you down to get the popcorn maker."

Tomo held fast, tightening his grip around Sakura's neck and waist. "Nope. Not letting go."

"Tomo…"

"You spoiled him. Deal with it," called Kisame from the hallway.

Sakura was drumming up the courage (and hardening her heart) to give Tomo something akin to a firm tone of voice when she heard a sudden _sploosh_, then _splat-splat-splat_ from the front hallway. Her eyes shot wide as she jumped back through the door from the kitchen to the hallway, just in time to see Itachi wiping his face, his hands, sweater and hair dripping with…

..._oops_, thought Sakura, slowly backing away into the kitchen. _I knew there was something I forgot to do._

"Hahahahahah! We did it!"

"We finally got you!"

"We totally got you, Uncle Itachi!"

"That was awesome!" cried Tomo from his perch on her hip. He swiveled around and gave her a broad grin. "It was like he wasn't even expecting them that time!"

"Let's not tell him I helped you guys make those ones, okay?" said Sakura. "It'll be our little secret. Now let's find those Twix bars!"

* * *

Now drowning in one of Kisame's 'too small' button-up shirts and a pair of old slacks, Itachi sat almost beside Sakura on the couch, a towel around his shoulders to absorb the damp from his hair. He was almost beside Sakura, as Dake had planted himself on Sakura's side when Tomo had refused to relinquish her lap. Itachi narrowed his eyes at the boys a moment before reaching his arm up and around the back of the sofa, resting it just behind Sakura's shoulders. _Ah, that was better. _He didn't touch her, but felt the warmth emanating from her, and saw the barest, cute flush creep up the back of her neck.

* * *

He's doing it on purpose, she decided, swallowing. She was… aware of him. Of how relaxed he looked in the baggy clothing, like some kind of posh desert island escapee, courtesy of some freak yachting accident that just happened in the middle of the front foyer. And did he have to be barefoot? Damnit.

She took a deep breath to calm herself.

The bare feet were doing her in, little by little.

_Breathe deeper. _

_Breathe at all, damnit._

Oh it was going to be a difficult night, she thought, as more kids arrived and eventually even Tomo and Dake scampered off to join them in games and crafts.

Leaving her beside Itachi, on the couch.

She swallowed again. Was it getting warmer?

* * *

"Having a good time?" he asked in velvet soft tones as the younger children ran around in some kind of chase-the-reindeer game, while the older ones settled around the TV to peruse NetFlix.

"Mmm," she murmured, unsure if she could handle looking at him directly. "You?"

"A bit dryer now," he said. "I admit I feel confused. I do not remember making this many bombs with them last time."

"They're pretty resourceful," she said. "And intelligent. Kisame is very lucky."

At that she heard him let out a low breath and chanced to look at him. He had the faintest of smiles on his face. "That is very true."

"—which was when we unloaded almost all our bombs on Uncle Itachi!" burst out Dake, and all his little friends gawked at him before they burst out laughing… at Itachi. "You got a grown up?" "Yeah!" "Awesome!"

Sakura bit her lip and glanced at Itachi, surprised to see his eyes bright with amusement. "I take it this hasn't happened before?" she ventured.

He shook his head. "No; I am impressed, though. To have managed to stockpile that many without Kisame noticing, or his wife…" His voice trailed off and he turned, very slowly, to look at Sakura. The inflection in his voice changed. "Would have been impossible without assistance."

Sakura's mouth went dry. "Are you sure? Did Kisame h-help them?"

"No." His inky eyes were fixed on her.

She tried to swallow. "M-maybe their, uh, mom?"

"You studied chemistry in high school and beat Sasuke's score, if I recall correctly."

She wet her lips and scanned the room; why had all the kids disappeared into the other parlour?

"Plenty of people took chemistry," she said, shifting her legs under her. She gripped the back of the couch tightly.

"Sakura," said Itachi. He began shifting on the couch, closing in on her. "I think you have something to share."

"No. Nothing." She took a deep breath.

"But, I think you do," he murmured, voice low. "And I think I know exactly how to get it out of you."

He was so close she could feel the warmth of his peppermint breath on her face. Her heart drummed in her chest.

There was a pause, a split second, before Sakura's nerves leapt forward and she dashed from the couch, tossing Tomo's forgotten bowl of popcorn in Itachi's face. She tore out of the living room and knew that she'd just done the equivalent of taunting a wild animal for she could hear Itachi chasing after her, his long strides reaching closer and closer like a wolf after a rabbit.

"Everyone, get Itachi!" she called out, laughing. "He's chasing me!"

And that was all the rallying cry the house full of over-sugared, hyperactive children needed; in an instant they'd poured from every room and jumped in Itachi's path, clobbering him and climbing on him, dragging him down. In his efforts to avoid harming them, he had to give in and fell to his hands and knees… after grabbing Sakura's sleeve and pulling her down with him.

"Get Sakura, too!" he called, and to her surprise, laughed.

With cries of "Get 'em!", the children dogpiled on Itachi, and Sakura, even as Itachi dragged her closer to him, cocooning his body around hers as she gasped and laughed.

Cheering and carousing, the children heaved themselves atop them while Itachi curled himself around Sakura's petite form, chuckling. The reverberations of his deep voice passed from his chest through her body, and Sakura flushed harder as she felt his hands come around her head, protecting her.

"Enough!" called Itachi after another minute, after someone's knee caught him too close to his temple for comfort. "Time for the scavenger hunt; find Hoshigaki-san."

Whoops and hollers of "Scavenger hunt!" followed as Makoto and Yuji led the older children in a hunt to find their father, leaving Sakura and Itachi panting on the floor.

His hand still on her head, Itachi capitulated to the urge and let his fingers thread through Sakura's silky, if now static-ridden hair.

"You okay?" he murmured, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"I have never been so grateful for plush carpeting," she admitted, glancing up at him before tucking her chin in and facing his chest. Her brow furrowed. "You got a knee to the head," she said. "Sorry. I didn't expect it to get that rough."

"I'm fine." He continued finger-combing her hair.

It felt nice. She rested her head on Itachi's arm as it pillowed her; let her hand unfurl from its defensive fist and lie flat, instead, against Itachi's chest. Felt the beat of his strong heart beneath her fingertips, listened with her palm.

She looked up at him once more and found his eyes had turned gentle and kind as they watched her.

Her heart skipped at the look.

Her words fluttered away from her as she tried to think them, under the quiet focus of that look.

"Christmas is in a few days," he said after another moment of shared quietude.

She nodded. "Your work done?"

"Most. A few things to finish tomorrow, but then my work with the department is done for the year. I will be on call with _Akatsuki _but asked for a break from shifts."

"Really? How come?" She swallowed and forced her voice to steady as she teased him. "I thought you thrived on challenge?"

There was that intensity darkening his eyes and enthralling her again as he held her gaze. "I have something important I intend to do. I don't want any distractions." His hand brushed through her hair and slid a loose lock behind her ear where his hand then remained. His thumb swept butterfly soft against the skin of her throat, dancing over her pulse as she swallowed. "And I have every intention of doing that challenge the justice she deserves."

Her mouth went dry as they moved, her eyes closing, as did his, as they leaned in closer—

"Did you find the mistletoe?"

Tomo's curious voice had Sakura jerking away from Itachi, while Itachi had instinctively pulled Sakura taut against his body. It was an awkward shift, and it took Sakura a second to regain her focus and locate Tomo.

"Did you?" he repeated, hopping on his sock feet, his grin wide and excited. "Makoto hid it this time and no one's been able to find it yet."

"Mistletoe?" breathed Sakura. Her heart was ready to leap from her chest; she and Itachi had nearly… nearly… good gods, had someone turned up the heat? And… oops… She let her grip loosen on Itachi's shirt, and gave in to the temptation to smooth out the wrinkles which just happened to be over Itachi's chest. She blushed and bit her lip when she felt the muscle beneath her fingertips jump in reaction, and pressed her lips together to withhold her grin. _That was interesting…_

She was reaching up to do it again when Itachi's larger, warmer hand caught hers and held it firm, preventing her from exploring and teasing him further. He squeezed it in warning as he looked up at Tomo.

"Yes yes!" he nodded. "We couldn't find it in here earlier."

"No, we were looking for it but we didn't find it," said Itachi. Then, to Sakura, he explained. "Every year it is someone's job to hide the mistletoe. It is part of the scavenger hunt."

"I see," said Sakura, wiggling her fingers in Itachi's grasp. He ignored her and held firm. She smiled at Tomo. "Are you almost done?"

"Yep! Daddy said I should check in here again in case you and Itachi forgot the rules."

Itachi made a low noise in his throat before letting out a small breath. "He has a point," he murmured. He nodded at Sakura, his midnight eyes apologetic. "Up." Untangling herself, she let him pull her to her feet. To her delight and surprise, Itachi did not release her the moment they were standing again, choosing instead to wrap his hand around hers. "Is there anything you're still looking for?" he asked Tomo, still holding Sakura's hand.

Her stomach curled up and purred when she felt him caress her sensitive inner wrist with his thumb.

"We don't want to upset the rules, do we?" said Itachi, following Tomo as he hopped down the corridor; Itachi held Sakura's hand, ensuring she remained alongside him.

"Nope nope nope! Daddy said the rules are super important. We don't break the rules until we're old enough to drive, like when we're ten or eleven," said Tomo sagely.

Wisely, Sakura pressed her lips together and swallowed the urge to giggle. She chanced a glance at Itachi and noted how content he looked, his hair and clothes loose, his feet still bare, his smile tugging at the softened corners of his lips.

They were passing through the front foyer when Kisame met them, a suspicious slant to his features as his beady eyes zeroed in on their clasped hands. Itachi met his eyes, his face impassive. He held fast to Sakura.

Something was being discussed between them, some silent male conversation that Sakura was part of but not a participant in. She looked between the two men, to Itachi's straight shoulders to Kisame's stern expression as he loomed over Itachi.

And suddenly it was Tomo to the rescue.

"The mistletoe!" the little boy shrieked, jumping up and down and pointing! "I found it! I won the scavenger hunt! I did it! I did it! I won! Daddy look! Look!"

Sure enough, in the foyer chandelier, nestled among crystals and camouflaged by some artfully positioned sparkling snowflake decorations, was a sprig of mistletoe.

"How did she get it up there? That's a good twenty feet," breathed Sakura, aghast.

"Atta girl, that's my pumpkin! Where's Daddy's little cyborg bandit?" boomed Kisame, proud grin splitting his face. He spun around, seeking Makoto. "C'mere!"

"Wait Daddy! You forgot the rules!" cried Tomo in distress, grabbing his dad's monstrous leg and clinging to it as Kisame started in the direction of most of the child-related-noise was coming from.

Hearing more than feeling his youngest child's desperation, Kisame glanced down. "Rules?"

"The rules, Daddy! You have to follow the rules!"

"Rules?" asked Sakura, noting the tension seeping into Itachi and Kisame. She glanced between them several times, then up at the mistletoe… then at Tomo who looked like he was nearing heart-breaking failure if The Rules weren't followed. Then at the mistletoe, and back between Itachi and Kisame again, who stood knee-to-knee directly beneath it… and realized.

"We… we can substitute someone else in for this one, Tomo. How about you take my place, and Sakura can take Uncle Itachi's place, and—"

"No!" Tomo stamped his foot and glared at his papa. "The Rules!"

"Tomo, you okay?" asked Yuji, jogging into the room. He looked between his father and 'uncle'. "What's up?"

"Nothing," said Kisame quickly.

"The rules! Daddy was trying to get out of the rules!" huffed Tomo.

Even Yuji gave Kisame a disappointed look.

Sakura was stuffing her free hand half into her mouth to stifle her laughter.

Itachi sighed. "You're trembling from trying to hold it in," he murmured to her.

"Please, oh please, don't break the rules," she struggled to get out. "Do it for Tomo."

"Dad, are you seriously going to disappoint Tomo and break the rules?"

"This is blackmail," seethed Kisame.

"What would Mommy say!" chastised Tomo, hands on his little hips.

Sakura lost it. "I better go get her, she'll set things straight—"

"No!" Itachi and Kisame's eyes were wide, and both men swallowed.

_Aha. Thought so. _Sakura smirked. Mrs Hoshigaki was apparently the true leader of the household. Sakura couldn't wait to meet her. She sounded like she'd get along well with Tsunade.

By this time the men's yelling had caught the attention of the kids who'd swaggered in and were slowly putting the clues together. First there were whispers. Then there was pointing. Then there was giggling.

Then there was chanting.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

"Sakura?" murmured Itachi.

"Itachi?" Her grin was purely shit-eating at that point.

"Stop sniggering." His words would have held more weight if the corners of his mouth hadn't kept pulling down before fluttering dangerously like they may break into a grin of his own.

For her part, she laughed aloud and joined in with the kids. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Kisame swallowed.

Itachi straightened his shoulders.

Like two men bound for the gallows, they faced their fate. Inch by excruciating inch they closed the distance between them, stiffening at the other's proximity.

It was a magical moment when it happened.

(Sakura would know, she captured it on her phone. It looked like Ino was going to forgive her after all.)

* * *

Sakura bit her cheek and tried to swallow her giggles as Itachi drove her to Ino's that evening, post-party.

He sighed from the driver's seat.

"There is no convincing you not to share that, is there?"

"Nope," she said, smug.

"Could I ask you to restrict it so it does not reach the media? For my family's sake," he explained. "We have a media relations department, and this would cause them a lot of overtime, especially over the holidays. They're quite busy already."

She pouted at him. "You're no fun."

To her surprise he looked away, his grip on the wheel shifting tighter.

She watched him, brows furrowed.

His face… she saw it lose all animation, his expression turning impassive, detached. The way he looked to others, she realized. Closed off. Impenetrable.

Confused, Sakura reviewed what she'd said, and she swallowed her sigh. Ah, he was a little sensitive about that?

"Hey," she reached over to touch his arm. She didn't want to distract him from driving. "Itachi?"

"Hn."

She arched a brow. "I was teasing."

"Hn."

Really? He was sulking?

"I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

He ignored her.

"You know, someone who was no fun wouldn't have played with the kids tonight the way you did." She watched him for a reaction. "Someone who was no fun wouldn't have laughed when the kids dogpiled on us." She saw his jaw twitch; she smiled internally. Then her Inner self grabbed the wheel—figuratively speaking—and decided to push Itachi's buttons a bit further. Shifting in her seat, she curled up and tilted her head to peer up at Itachi from beneath her lashes. Lowering her voice, she bit her lip, and with a seductive glance, said, "And someone who was no fun wouldn't have dragged me up and down his body with such deliberate intentions, on the dance floor, in front of all our friends at _Akatsuki_ and made me…" She bit her lip.

She felt no small amount of pride when his adam's apple bobbed in his throat.

"Or, were you planning on leaving me hanging after that? Are you a tease, Itachi?" she goaded him, her voice breathy as she leaned closer to him. She walked her fingers up to his shoulder and wrapped some of his ponytail around her finger.

"Sakura," he said, his voice lower and rougher.

"Hmm?" She smirked at him.

"Remember the conversation we had, about me keeping a certain promise?"

"Hmmm." She continued playing with his silky hair, smiling at him like the cat who got the cream.

"..." His words failed him, she noted with no small amount of pride, when she ran her finger down the shell of his ear. In fact, he may have shifted his legs wider apart.

"I… I can't remember Ino's address," he admitted, voice thick. "Please, Sakura."

Inner Sakura gave a hearty "Fuck yeah!" when she saw him shiver.

She smiled at him, revelling in that small bit of power she had.

Or, rather, the immense power. Over Uchiha Itachi.

This balance of it was almost heady.

She wondered briefly what he'd do when she—

Oh right. He'd asked her a question.

"Turn left at the next light, then take a right three lights later," she said, settling back. She let his hair slip through her fingers with intentional care.

Turning back to face the front of the car again, she couldn't keep her smirk to herself.

She didn't miss when Itachi glanced at her in the rearview mirror; she winked at him.

To her surprise he shook his head, smiling.

"You still want to hold out until New Years?" she asked, voice light and deciding she liked being playful and just a bit brazen around him.

He gave a long suffering sigh. "You're not going to make it easy on me, are you?"

"Nope," she said, smug.

His self-deprecating grin was martyred… and amused.

"In that case… Have mercy on me," he said in a low, taunting drawl that went straight to her lower belly and caused a lovely sensation to unfurl and clench rhythmically. Damnit. Wait, had she left a bag of clothes at Ino's? Yes. She had. She could change there. Ugh. Stupid smexy...

Thanking the heavens for her foresight, she folded her arms in front of her and gave Itachi a saucy wink. "Not on your life."

His groan was less pained—and far more husky than should be legal—than anticipated, in her opinion.

She shifted in her seat.

Yep. Definitely changing at Ino's. Just in case.

"This is for you," he said as he dropped her off in Ino's driveway.

Sakura accepted the envelope and she recognized the shape and feel of it.

"The gala," she whispered, and Itachi nodded.

"I would like to formally invite you as my guest."

She bit her lip as she tried to hold back her smile. "I would love to join you." That was, until her brow tightened. "That is… I hadn't expected to be invited this year."

"Some members of the family have declined their invitation this year due to work responsibilities," said Itachi smoothly. His expression softened. "As far as I know, that was the official reply."

She nodded, relaxing again. "I would love to. Thank you, Itachi. For everything."

He gave her a small smile, and yet it transformed his face into one even more handsome. "My pleasure, Sakura." He looked at Ino's front door to find the blond waiting there for Sakura. "Enjoy your evening. Perhaps I will see you there."

Sakura's smile grew as he reversed the car back into the street, and with a wave, drove away.

She slipped the invitation into her purse.

* * *

"We have a change in our usual holiday schedule," bellowed Kisame at MA practice the next day. He stood in front of the assembled students and instructors, scouring them with his beady eyes. "We have arranged transportation for all members, should they choose to join us, to a new activity at the end of today's practice. When we finish that activity, then we will proceed to our own club party at a private room at _Akatsuki _for the evening."

At his side, Itachi nodded. "There is no cost or cover for any of these events, or for transportation."

Sakura bit her bottom lip to keep her smile from getting the better of her. Fairly bobbing in her seat in spite of the grueling—if briefer than usual—practice, she couldn't hold in her excitement.

"If you'd like to join us, you have half an hour to shower and be ready downstairs by the East doors," said Itachi. "Do not be late. Dismissed."

As they parted from the gym, she walked with a half-skip in her step and squeezed Deidara's arm as she passed him. He grinned at her and winked… just in time for Itachi, who had been walking towards Sakura, to see. And stare Deidara down with an icy glare.

Feeling his delicate bits curling up in self-preservation, Deidara quickened his step and followed closer behind Sakura where he seriously debated using the intersex bathroom to avoid Itachi. It had lovely locking doors.

* * *

"The Peds ward again?"

Deidara nodded and led his personal group of MA club students through the doors they remembered from October. "Buddy up and help the families; this is the kids' Christmas party. Remember, you're representing the club," he counselled them. "And smile, yeah. This is for the kiddies."

"Thank you so much, Dei-sempai," gushed Sakura as she turned the corner with an air-fleet of helium-filled balloons, one for each young patient. "We couldn't have done this without you."

"Well, the gifts would have cost you more, yeah," he said, leering at her with a playful wink.

To his surprise, Sakura blushed. She hadn't done that in a while, since they'd spent so much time together. "You didn't tell him, did you? I wanted what we did to be a secret. I can't wait to see his face when—Itachi? Are you eavesdropping?" Sakura's voice was incredulous. Itachi swung around the corner with a murderous aura.

The Uchiha's face was stony as he approached them, his eyes fixed on Deidara's.

Deidara swallowed.

"Tell him," he said quickly. "You can tell him now, right? Yeah?"

"No, I don't want to ruin the surprise!"

"I don't want to ruin the carpet," hissed Deidara, his azure eyes imploring her.

"But—" She glanced at Itachi.

"If you throw me to the wolf I will burn it, yeah!"

"Fine!"

With a small huff she turned around and blocked Itachi from barrelling down on Deidara. She looked up at Itachi, and, with a knowing glint in her eye, pressed closer to him on purpose. Then she smirked, lowered her voice, and touched his sleeve. "Itachi? Is everything okay?"

"I need to speak to Deidara."

"Oh," her eyes turned downcast. "I was hoping you'd help me with these balloons."

Itachi had been glaring at Deidara until Sakura's voice broke through his focus.

"My help." His glare remained on Deidara, however his body turned into Sakura's.

"Mmmmm," she said, tugging on his sleeve. She began shifting her weight foot to foot, gradually repointing their direction. "I know one or two kids were asking when the famous rescue ninja would be here." She winked at him. "I didn't ask if they meant you or me, so we should visit them together."

He narrowed his eyes at her before flicking his gaze back to Deidara, who'd been attempting to sneak away.

"I still need to speak to Deidara."

Said-man tensed and went still.

"Oh," said Sakura, her tone hurt. "I… I guess I'll just have to ruin your Christmas present, then."

It was Itachi's turn to swallow.

"My…"

"Hmmm. And I really wanted to surprise you. I even went to the trouble of asking Deidara for help to make sure it would be perfect. He helped me so much with organizing today's Peds Holiday Party, on top of helping me with the gift for you. I didn't want to bother you because I know you've been marking and prepping another paper to submit, on top of organizing the MA club's tournament entry with Kisame, and helping Kisame with his kids, and—"

Itachi lifted his fingers and, after a moment's hesitation, clasped Sakura's hand, his expression softening as he looked at her.

"That's why you've been spending so much time with Deidara?"

"Yes, why? You didn't think we were… were…" Her voice trailed off as her lips formed a small 'o'. Her 'free' hand, the one holding the balloons but not his sleeve, covered her mouth as she stared at Itachi and paled. With a cough-swallow, she shook her head. "I didn't expect you'd think it was like that."

"Well, sometimes a man's pride is a sensitive thing," he murmured, closing the distance between them and leaning his head down to speak privately to her. "And Deidara had… intentions… towards you at one point. It was a simple matter to misunderstand."

Her shoulders relaxed. "Have I reassured you, then?" Before she added. "He did? I thought he was just flirting harmlessly."

"He is notoriously successful," sighed Itachi. "It was… disheartening seeing the two of you becoming so close, recently."

"Itachi, I'm not looking at anyone else," said Sakura, smiling up at him as he stepped closer. "I know exactly what I want, and I'm trying to be very patient with its stubborn sense of integrity right now."

To her surprise, Itachi gave a muffled chuckle. "What you want is also struggling with his sense of integrity right now."

She giggled as she lifted her head higher, while he leaned lower, while they closed their eyes—

A voice clearing itself noisily about three inches from their ears interrupted them. (Again.)

"So, I see the balloons finally arrived!"

"There's no need to be so loud, Kisame-sensei," groused Sakura. She let go of Itachi's sleeve with reluctance, where she'd been unconsciously pulling him closer.

"Just making sure the balloons hadn't forgotten where they were. In a Pediatrics ward. With families everywhere. Around every corner, watching you, even when you think there's no one there."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at Kisame. "We're hardly children."

"Exactly. But the way you're looking at each other, you might as well be making children in front of everyone. So cease and desist, and separate, and perhaps the ward won't burn down from your insufferable hormones finally lighting a fire under your arse," griped Kisame, giving Itachi the eye.

Sakura swallowed her laugh and pressed her lips together, pointing down the hall. "I'll just be over there…"

As Itachi was accompanied—not escorted—in the opposite direction with Kisame's grip unrelenting on his shoulder, he caught sight of a group of families in the children's play lounge opening gifts. What caught his eye, though, was the familiarity of the size and shape of the gift. They all had the same one. He slowed his footsteps as he watched, and recognized the sight of mounted pictures as each family opened one… and was stunned as he saw each set of eyes turn happy and wet. He glanced at Kisame, who released his shoulder, then approached the nearest family to peek over their shoulder.

A hand-drawn family portrait, sketched to perfection, in Deidara's telltale style.

Straightening, Itachi looked around the lounge. Each family had one; each child proudly presenting one to their parents to show and keep as they sat around the many activity tables, now laden with crafts, snacks and punch.

He wanted to groan at himself.

"That's what he's been up to," he murmured.

Kisame looked at him, bemused. "The drawings?"

Itachi nodded once.

Kisame grinned. "Is that why you've been scaring the piss out of Dei for the past 6 weeks? Because you thought he was moving in on Sakura? Not that that wasn't hilarious, by the way."

Itachi ignored him. "Let's see where we can help."

Giggling like a schoolgirl, and sometimes outright snickering, Kisame followed.

That was fine by Itachi. Christmas was coming and he already knew how he'd get Kisame back. After all, he had people on the inside.

* * *

Karin folded her arms in front of her and skewered Sasuke with a look. "What are you doing?"

"None of your business. Go away."

She sniffed, unimpressed. "Why are you packing?"

"I'll be too busy to do it later." He carefully hung another suit inside a garment bag. "I'm taking a brief leave of absence over the holidays."

"You don't take holidays. You barely take lunch."

"Don't mess up my house while I'm gone. Also, if you keep bothering me, I'm changing the locks while you're out."

She frowned before tossing her hair over her shoulder. The shopping bag in her hand shifted, and Sasuke looked over, curious in spite of himself. "You've been out shopping? You usually order things delivered."

She shrugged. "Too busy." She let out a low breath through her nose, scraping her eyes over his room. "Do you need anything before you go? Anything prepared? Any meetings moved? Any documents or files rushed?"

He folded the suit in half over the hanging rack before looking at her over his shoulder. "Stay out of my room while I'm gone. If anything is missing, they'll never find all the pieces."

She snorted.

His dark eyes narrowed at her and turned hard. "The pieces of you."

She rolled her eyes. "That's not how you go about getting your leave approved," she said, examining her nails.

Sasuke stiffened.

"You know, I've been awfully patient. I've turned your health around so you're no longer undead, I've arranged for your work to get back on track, I manage your home, your meetings, your damn meals and schedule, and you're still acting like an entitled, over privileged shit." She watched as he turned to look at her, tapping her fingers on her arm. "Do you think we don't know why you're going back? Really? We know everything about you Sasuke."

His breathing came quicker, but Sasuke maintained his calm.

"Like, an apology or thank you would be possibly lethal to you. It would be, wouldn't it? You show no compassion or gratitude. Does that seem normal to you? Do you know why you're alone?"

"Don't," he said, voice low.

"You don't even have friends here. Not have my friends, but have you created bonds with anyone? Do you think you'll really get ahead if people don't feel like they can trust you?"

"Karin."

She swallowed, shaking her head at him. "When you come back, think on that. If you want to gain people's trust, you need to show more of yourself to them. Show or hint at some vulnerability, even a small one."

She turned away, her bag swinging on her arm as she strode down the dark hall.

"Wait," he called, coming to the doorway of his room, light spilling out around him. His hands closed to fists at his side as he swallowed and lifted his head. Karin stopped and looked at him, half turning to face him. "The leave. I only need a few days. I promised."

"You shouldn't have made a promise you couldn't keep," said Karin, walking away again.

She had taken less than three steps when he added. "P-please. My family. It's for my family."

"Don't lie to me, Sasuke. I can find anyone and anything and I am very good at finding the truth."

"I'm not lying—"

"Sakura. It's not about your family, it's about Sakura." Karin swung around and held Sasuke's frozen, wide eyes. "Don't lie to me. I've never lied to you."

With that she entered her room and closed the door behind her, locking it.

She didn't drink tea that night, or work late.

Instead, she sat on her bed and opened her bag and, with shaking, disgusted fingers, looked at the pair of boxes she'd purchased at the pharmacy. Could she?

_No._

_Not yet._

Her heart hitched before she grabbed them and threw them back in the bag, shoving it into her chest of drawers with her personal effects.

* * *

The next day, at lunch, Karin's self-control flew out the window and she snapped the pencil in her hand at the throat-clearing that erupted on the other side of her desk. She looked up from her work, irritation crawling up and down her nerves at being interrupted for the hundredth time that day for the stupidest questions, and heaven help her but she was going to rip this idiot a new asshole if they didn't learn to figure shit out for themselves—

Her diatribe died in her throat as her red eyes zipped straight to Sasuke's charcoal ones.

"Lunch?"

He held up a bag of take-out from her favourite restaurant.

"I'm busy."

He arched a brow at her.

"You're taking a break," he said, coming around the side of her desk, and pulling her up by the arm.

"You-you-you can't do that! I have work to do! I'm busy! Really! I mean it!"

"Hn."

"Sasuke—you can't—I swear to god I'm going to rip your entrails out through your—put me down—that's a door, we can't go through that, I'm too busy to leave—are you even listening to me?! Sasuke!"

And so it was that Sasuke dragged Karin, kicking and screaming, away from her office, away from her department, and down through the elevators and lobby and out the front doors of the building.

"This doesn't mean we're even," she grumbled, sinking her teeth into the club sandwich. "Oh god this is good. I've needed this," she sighed happily, before pausing in her chewing and giving him a side-eye. "What do you want? If it's about your leave, Yoroi already signed off on it. I put it through last week."

Sasuke took a sip of his tomato soup, admiring the fountain in front of them at the small park around the corner from their office.

"Is this some kind of mindgame?" She leaned back and rolled her eyes before taking another bite of her sandwich. She snorted. "You'll have to do better than that."

"You say you've never lied to me," began Sasuke calmly. "But you've kept many secrets from me."

Karin's hands paused as they lifted the sandwich up to her mouth.

"Everyone has secrets."

"They do. Because secrets are private." He looked at her. "The difference being, I've never used your secrets against you."

With that, he rose from his seat and pitched his garbage in the nearest waste bin.

"I'll see you back at work," he said and left without looking back at her.

Her lips pressed together in a thin line, her hands trembling as she lowered them to her napkin-covered lap, Karin bowed her head a moment and took a deep breath.

"You do and you don't even realize it," she murmured, refusing to give in to the twisting in her chest.

* * *

Lifting the phone, Sasuke began dialing the familiar number before his fingers froze.

He pushed his hand, but couldn't finish the number.

He cancelled the near-call.

Started again. Dialing it in, digit by digit, a number he'd known by heart for years no matter how many times he'd refuse to admit it.

Push-push-push… push… pu—

Hang up.

His heart burned him from the inside out, like electricity flaying him alive. He was ashamed. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten Naruto's birthday. Or that he'd pushed him away the way he had. Naruto was his best friend, and he'd shoved him away. What else had he done?

Rubbing at his face, Sasuke let out a breath and turned back to his packing. Should he bring presents, or buy them there? If he bought them in Oto and brought them with him, it would show he'd thought of them and prepared ahead of time, rather than last-minute scrambling, he reasoned. Even if it was last-minute scrambling, just earlier.

But it was more to carry on the plane. And it meant shopping and he knew nothing of the stores in Oto… even less than nothing since Karin had been ordering all their meals and groceries and supplies. Hn. His brow furrowed at how dependent he was on her.

Spirits renewed by his anger at himself and his ineptitude and helplessness and dependence, and knowing he had to stop procrastinating, he stabbed the numbers into the handset. He refused to pull it up on the phone's memory. He was almost there, almost there, almost there when the beeping, the beeping, the beeping—

The beeping turned into a dial tone.

It rang once. He held his breath.

It rang twice. He almost felt light-headed; this wasn't healthy.

It rang three times. His heart leapt into his throat and he choked as he tried to swallow it back down.

"Hi!" answered the voice on the other end of the line, and Sasuke took a deep breath to speak, before the voice continued. "This is Naruto's phone, lucky you! Leave me a message after my awesome beat-boxing! Beep-brrrr-beep-beep-kssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-pbbbbtttt!"

He wasn't there.

All that anxiety, and he wasn't even there.

"Idiot," muttered Sasuke, hanging up.

* * *

"A-a-are you s-sure this is okay, Sakura? I know you and Ino usually do this on your own." Hinata blushed and stared down at the coffee table where the girls were seated.

"You've been our friend for a long time! Of course you're joining us. And with you being attached to Naruto at the hips—"

Hinata gasped and blushed, burying her face in her hands.

"Ino!"

"—well, it's true—they're, like, pretty much rabbits these days—it was high time you joined us for a girls night in!"

"Would you like some wine?" asked Sakura more gently, and poured for Hinata when she shook her head no. "You're getting wine, Hinata, or you won't make it through the night. Trust me."

"This is bullying," protested Hinata.

"This is us welcoming you to the wonderful world of womanhood, sister. Now, be honest, is he more enthusiasm than technique? Because he always seemed the type to be more Energizer bunny than—"

Sakura lifted a hand as Hinata gave a small howl of despair and leapt on the wine.

"Easy, Ino. Ease her into it." Sakura shook her head to hide her grin. "Okay, so we have some awesome avocado mask—which doubles as a tasty guac—cucumbers to nibble on, or put on our eyes—and some kind of homemade conditioner Ino swears by—"

"It's a gift from the gods!"

"—which I'm pretty sure may contain fertilizer, but I can admit the results speak for themselves."

Ino smirked at them and flipped her legendary locks over her shoulder. "Totally worth it."

"You put the food—and sheep manure—on yourselves?" Hinata's eyes were wide, her brows buried in her midnight fringe.

"Tri-protein super-plus detangler and fortifying conditioner," clarified Ino. "Yes."

"Tri? As in manure from three different animals?"

Ino's brow—recently manicured at Sakura's careful hand—twitched. "It's a perfectly organic compound made up of—"

Hinata gaped at her, shaking her head, unable to find words.

"Mmmmmmmkay, let's move on to legs!"

"We're shaving?" whispered Hinata.

"Nope, no blades here."

"Haaaah," sighed Hinata, sagging in relief.

"Wax's warmed up! Who wants to go first?"

"Eeeep!"

"Sakura, I think you're gonna need to hold her down…"

And so the night went on, until there came a knock at the door.

Ino looked at Sakura. "Did you invite anyone else?"

Sakura shook her head. "Nope. Hold on. Oh geez, I would have guac on my face to answer the door… Hello?" she pressed the buzzer by the door.

"Hey, it's me!"

"Naruto?"

"The one and only!"

"Come on up!"

She buzzed him in and unlocked the door. "Guess who's here?" she asked, smiling at her friends.

"Who?" Hinata's fingers twisted together in front of her.

"Itachi!"

"No, and Ino, he's mine. We've had this talk."

"I'm willing to share."

"I'm not."

"Spoilsport."

Hinata's attention shot between the two like a spectator at a ping-pong match.

"Hey! I wasn't sure you'd be home tonight—Hinata, you're here, too?"

"Eeeep!" Hinata dunked her face, guac-first, into a towel.

Ino snorted. "What a waste of product."

"Ino," sighed Sakura as she grabbed a seat for Naruto at the table. "So, couldn't find your girlfriend and thought you'd come slumming it with us?"

Naruto laughed. "I've missed hanging out with you. Things have been so busy I've barely seen you. Hey Hinata. I know it's you," he said softly, scootch over closer to kiss her on top of the head and wrap his arm around her. His eyes widened as he looked at the messy coffee table. "Am I interrupting something girly?"

Ino's eyes gleamed.

"Not at all. But—"

"Ino—"

"—since you're here—"

"Ino—"

"—you can't leave until you've joined in. Ever had a make-over, Naruto?"

Sakura sighed. Then poured more wine. For Hinata.

"No," he said, scratching at the stubble that was shadowing his chin. "Is it any good? I thought only girls did those."

Ino's grin was predatory as she reached for the sanitized fabric strips that were piled nearby.

"I'm going to make you beautiful, Naruto," she promised. "Sakura, can you pass me the wax?"

"Wax?" asked Naruto.

"Here, bite down on this," said Sakura, offering him a hardcover book.

"Why would I need to—oh hey, that's kinda nice and warm and—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHmphhhhhH!"

Sakura held down his shoulders with one hand while she shoved the book in his mouth with the other.

"Hey Hinata, could you pass me that cold cloth? His brow could use a wiping."

"I'm so sorry, Naruto," whispered Hinata mournfully, as she handed Sakura the cloth.

Ino snorted. "Ya big baby. We did Hinata's bikini line and she didn't squeal half as much as you did."

"Moo id?" Naruto's eyes flickered over to Hinata, who blushed redder than a fire engine, her shoulders up around her ears, and nodded. He lay his head down on the carpet again.

"Huh." His brow furrowed before he grinned around the book. "Can oo do ine?"

Sakura blinked.

Ino shrugged. "Sure."

"Iiight on!" crowed Naruto. He winked at Hinata, and somehow spoke clearly around the book in his mouth. "Special Christmas for us, babe."

Hinata fainted into a puddle of guac.

* * *

"So," said Naruto that night as Hinata and Ino were in the washroom, rinsing out the crap-ditioner, "Any word from Sasuke?" His hair stuck up at odd angles from the multiple spiny ponytails they'd knotted in his blond locks.

Sakura looked up from her new course schedule for the winter term. She shrugged. "Not really. I tried calling him once, but it sounds like he has someone new."

Fumbling with his cup ramen, Naruto dropped his chopsticks. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I mean, I was worried about him and called him. A girl answered and told me he wasn't my concern anymore and that's been it. It would have been nice to hear him say it, to have some closure, but," she shrugged. Then she smiled. "Though, I suppose I'm moving on, too."

Naruto shook his head. "Itachi," he said, lowering his voice.

"He's good to me, Naruto. He's helped me through a lot."

"Sasuke would have, too," he said, stubborn.

But Sakura shook her head. "He didn't, though, did he? He couldn't even talk to me about what was bothering him. He didn't trust me enough to even tell me about his family."

"But it isn't that he didn't trust you! It's that he didn't want to burden you! I'm telling you, Sakura, he loves you. He always will. He just loves you so much he couldn't bring himself to load his problems on you. He didn't want to put more on your shoulders than you already had."

She touched Naruto's hand. "But if he can't tell me that, then it feels like he doesn't think I can handle it. It means he thinks I'm weak. And… with Itachi… it feels like he trusts me more. He talks to me. Confides things to me. No, I'm not giving you examples," she said, smiling at him. "But, it feels right to move on. I tried to talk to Sasuke, Naruto. I tried calling him. He didn't even have the decency to tell me he's found someone new." She frowned. "Or to return my stuff to me."

Naruto flipped his hand over, taking her hand in his warm one.

"Does he make you happy?"

"Who?"

Naruto gave her a look before his lips sagged into a sad smile. "Itachi."

Appreciated. Protected. Safe. Adored. Valued. Respected. Treasured. Those words all came to mind when she thought about Itachi.

Happy?

"Yes."

Naruto searched her eyes for something before he nodded.

"You still going to the Uchiha's Christmas party?"

Her cheeks warmed. "Yes. Itachi invited me."

"Mikoto called to make sure I was invited. She told me to invite a friend. Just wanted to make sure you were going before I asked Hinata," he said with a wink.

Sakura's smile widened. "She's so happy with you, Naruto. Bashful and adorable, and so happy. I saw how her eyes lit up when she heard your voice when you arrived."

"Really?" he asked, delighted.

"Really really," confessed Sakura, winking back at him.

He nodded to himself before ducking his head to hide his face-splitting grin.

"Oh, you're in deep," she teased, ruffling his hair. Sort of. She wiped her hand on a towel after.

"Am I ever," he said, quite happily.

And they'd known each other so long, they didn't bother fighting the urge to embrace.

"I'm so glad I have you," he said.

"Love you, too, Naruto," Sakura grinned.

"We can wash this shit out of our hair soon, right?"

"As soon as we can pry Ino and Hinata out of there."

He sighed, wrinkling his nose. "This stinks."

"Eyes on the prize. Spectacular hair for the party."

He rolled his eyes. Then picked up and munched a loose cucumber that had fallen into his lap. "Do you have any guac left on you?"

"On the table."

"No, I mean on you. Table's too far."

With a sigh, Sakura turned her head to the side. "Try over here…"

* * *

_The following evening_

"I can't believe I didn't get an invitation from that prick. After all I did for him."

Sakura did not dare shift as Ino brandished the curling wand far too close for comfort.

"He's working. Out of the country. He'll be back… someday," shrugged Sakura. She hadn't heard from Sasuke, so she had no idea when he was due back, but it spoke volumes that her invitation had come from Itachi to the annual Uchiha Christmas party. Even if they'd had fights in the past prior to the party, Sasuke had always invited her. "I can ask Itachi if you can join me? I just assumed you'd have an invitation from the family, sorry."

"Don't you feel guilty. I can fix almost any bodily-fluid-involved emotion on make-up, but guilty-face-screwing-up is a bitch to blend out," snapped Ino, lifting Sakura's chin and raking her with critical blue eyes. "Smile. Pout. Moue. Better-than-you. Kiss-kiss. Eye-fuck. Okay, you're still good. As you were."

"Are those expression exercises really necessary?"

"Excuse me, perfection takes time, and I have every intention of making you flawless for the Uchiha manse. Look up."

"I thought we were doing hair."

"Don't question genius. It'll give you wrinkles. And gas."

Sakura bit her tongue to keep from giggling and ruining the eyeliner line Ino drew on.

"I'm so glad your bruises are all healed up," said Ino. "Not that I couldn't have hidden them, but it's… a nice reminder that you're really healed."

Sakura's heart softened. "Careful. You almost sound like you care, Pig."

"Ugh. Stop. I can feel the grays threatening my glory."

"Or cementing it."

"I'm about to do your contouring; do you really want me accidentally making you look like an Attack on Titan reject? No. Now, suck in your cheeks…"

"We're still taking half our classes together next term, right?" asked Sakura from between fishy pouty lips.

"You bet we are," said Ino. "Too bad we can't take any more classes with Itachi."

"You can," reminded Sakura. She tested her facial expressions for Ino again, who nodded to herself.

"Yeah, but they're less fun when I can't rile you up about him."

"Priorities, Ino-pig."

"Seeing you happy is my priority." Ino tilted Sakura's chin up one more time before setting down her tools and touching up Sakura's hair with a last bobby-pin or three. "There. You may gaze upon yourself and admire my wondrous skills now."

Laughing, Sakura turned from Ino to look in the bathroom mirror while Ino stood behind her and angled another mirror to show Sakura how the rear of her hair was finished. "Someone needs to tone down the… oh wow. Ino." Sakura's jaw dropped. "What… what did you…"

Leaning over Sakura's shoulder, Ino winked at her in the mirror. "I believe you did mention you were getting a little tired of his wait-until-New-Years approach to your budding relationship. Oui?"

_Oui,_ said Inner Sakura firmly, cooing at Ino's handiwork. Outer Sakura was stunned speechless at her best friend's artistry.

The updo was devastatingly simple and elegant, showing off Sakura's long neck and toned shoulders and back, left open by the dress she wore. The dress was also a work of art; Ino had helped her choose it, last minute, at the bridal boutique near their old high school. It wasn't a bridal dress, however the minute Ino had lain her eyes upon its snowy, floor-length satin, with its onyx lace detail along the fitted, strapless bodice and lower hem of the full skirt, she had declared it perfect and nearly thrown Sakura bodily into the changeroom to try it on. One and done. There had been no other fittings or dresses tried on; it was The One, as declared by Ino. And seeing how well it suited her with the make-up and hair Ino had adorned her with, and the simple diamond pendant, Sakura couldn't argue with any of Ino's decisions. It suited her perfectly.

"I don't deserve you," said Sakura, fighting a sniffle at how beautifully Ino had enhanced her natural features.

For her part, Ino had brandished tissues and an industrial-strength can of aerosol fixative and was bearing down on Sakura like a demon. "Don't you DARE tear up until I spray you!"

"I'm trying not to!"

"Do, there is no try!"

"Since when do you watch Star Wars?!"

"Since Kylo Ren, obviously. That man warrants a marathon. Now suck it in, princess, and hold your breath. This stuff's banned in most European nations and some parts of Asia, but Beyoncé swears by it."

* * *

Ino's grin couldn't stretch any wider if she tried that night when Sakura opened her door to let Itachi in.

And he remained in the hallway, silent, staring at her.

"Have my princess back by midnight," sang Ino smugly, wrapping Sakura in a shawl before handing her a long coat.

"Ino," sighed Sakura. "If the weather turns, I may stay there tonight. There are plenty of guest rooms."

Ino did not miss how Itachi swallowed at that, though Sakura had her back to him as she spoke to Ino.

"Well, I'll be out tonight anyway, so whenever you get in, text me, okay?"

Sakura's brow furrowed. "Where are you going?"

"I picked up an extra shift at work. I figured if I'm not out working it tonight, I'll at least earn a bit of money working. Anyway, have a fantastic time, and text me pics! Remember to check your make-up every hour and after each meal. You have the refresher kit I put in your purse, right?"

"Yes, Aunty Ino."

"Don't sass me, Forehead, or I won't coordinate your future wedding."

"Ino!"

"You have done an admirable job, Ino. Thank you for helping Sakura get ready," broke in Itachi, finally stepping forward and settling Sakura's coat lapels, his eyes never leaving her face. "I don't think anyone will be able to tear their eyes away from her tonight."

His dark eyes entranced Sakura's, and she blushed, unable to look away from him. "You don't look so bad yourself."

His small, private smile, the one he shared solely with Sakura, nearly made Ino squee.

Instead she gave an over exaggerated gagging noise. "Now, get out of here before his Audi turns into a pumpkin!"

"Thank you so much, Ino." Sakura reached around Ino and gave her a squeeze.

"Anytime, beloved. Now, go have fun! I'll lock up and call my folks for a ride."

"We do need to get on the road soon, if we're to make it in time for the dinner," said Itachi, apologetic towards Ino. "You do not need a ride?"

Ino waved him off. "It'll take me a bit of time to clean up here. I'm not leaving a mess for Forehead to clean-up after she's been out partying all night without moi."

"You don't need to clean anything. I'll do it later, okay? You relax before you go to work. You've done so much for me."

Ino shrugged. "We'll see when you get in then." Then her brows rose. "Wait!" She whipped out her phone and took a photo of Sakura, grinning. "Okay, we're good. You're free to go."

"We do need to leave soon," said Itachi, taking Sakura's hand and giving it a squeeze. He did not let go.

With a nod of his head in Ino's direction—he still had not turned his eyes away from Sakura—he tilted his head in the direction of the outside hall.

With a last blown-kiss and a mouthed _Thank You!~_ at Ino, Sakura, still blushing, followed Itachi to his car.

* * *

Dragging his bags behind him in the blustery winter night, Sasuke paused by the limousine, nodding at the chauffeur who straightened his tie and hopped to attention. Immediately he let Sasuke into the warm vehicle where Sasuke, veins thrumming, took a seat on the spacious leather interior banquette. He heard his bags piled into the trunk before the driver retook his position behind the wheel, leather gloves creaking as he adjusted the controls and pulled away from the curb.

"Welcome back to Konoha, sir."

Sasuke nodded, his dark gaze focused on the exterior.

"ETA?" he asked, noting the worsening weather.

"To Miss Haruno's apartment? Approximately twenty five minutes."

"Do it in half," he ordered.

His hand drifted to his pocket, fingering the velvet bundle inside.

* * *

Sakura thought she may cry.

"You didn't need to—"

"I wanted to," said Itachi softly, sliding the corsage onto Sakura's wrist and taking the opportunity to lift her hand to his mouth and kiss the air above it.

His warm lips ghosted over the fine hairs on her arm, lifting every one.

The single gardenia with its soft bed of green leaves wrapped around her wrist with an interwoven bamboo strand cuff for a base. Sakura knew she'd be wearing it later as a bracelet on its own, later, the craftsmanship was breathtaking. And, after so many summers assisting Ino in her family's shop, she wasn't ignorant to the meaning of the flowers.

Her corsage, she noted, matched the subtle gardenia blossoms and leaves pinned to his lapel. It peeked through his jacket as they buckled into his car.

Taking a deep breath, she slid her arm through his and pulled him closer to kiss the air beside his cheek.

His smirk softened to a smile as he wet his lips, then turned forward, put the car in gear, and pulled out of the parking lot and into the snowy night.

* * *

_Several minutes later, at Sakura's apartment_

"What do you mean she already left?"

"She left a while ago. Neither of us knew you were coming." The arch in Ino's brow was matched in her voice. "Anything else? I'm on my way out."

"But I have her invitation." Sasuke's eyes narrowed. His arms were taut at his sides as he loomed over Ino in the doorway to Sakura's apartment.

He'd grown another inch or two, Ino realized, since he'd been away. His build had also filled out, his shoulders broader and frame strong with muscle. For a second, the wild energy emanating off him made her shift her feet before she realized she was backing away from him; instead, she stood her ground and lifted her chin.

"Maybe you should have told her that."

His hands fisted at his side.

"Where is she?"

* * *

Itachi leaned closer to Sakura. "Is everything okay?"

Tamping down on the volume button, Sakura shook her head. "Ino keeps texting me. I'm turning my phone on silent." She dropped it into her purse as she handed her coat to Itachi. He hung it up for her with the rest of his family's outerwear, away from the rest of the regular guests'.

They made their way down the hallway to the main living area where the Uchiha family were gathering for their dinner.

"Is she normally so effusive?"

Sakura shook her head. "She can be, but I didn't think she would be, tonight. This is a formal event. She knows appearances matter. She wouldn't want to upset me with something."

Itachi nodded. "Once we have greeted my family, we can arrange a few minutes of privacy for you to call her from one of our rooms," he promised.

"Thank you, Itachi." She squeezed his arm as she wove her arm through his; then she blushed and ducked her head. "I keep forgetting how strong you are," she murmured, glancing away when he looked at her inquisitively. The feel of his firm muscle beneath her hands surprised her. She knew he was strong, she was part of the MA club with him, obviously, but sometimes… sometimes it didn't sink in until she felt it right under her fingertips. Her greedy fingertips, it seemed, as she gave another tentative squeeze.

"Sakura?"

"Mmmmm?"

"I'm not a piece of meat."

Sakura paled, her brows shooting up to her hairline in horror at what she was doing.

"I'm so so—"

His chuckle barely reached her ears, it was so soft, but he immediately reassured her by taking her hand in his and giving her a squeeze back.

Leaning close to her ear, he murmured, "You are not alone in how you feel. One week, Sakura. That's all I ask. New Years."

Turning her head until she nosed aside some of his loose hair, she blew faintly in his ear and whispered, hopefully, "New Years Eve?"

"Sakura."

"Itachi." She squeezed his hand again; then dipped her pinky lower to trace against his pulse.

The corner of his mouth twitched. She tried to withhold her smirk.

"New Years Eve," he amended with a small, throaty sigh that tickled her throat. "And you tell Kisame."

"Easy," she said with a grin, pulling back.

"Good, he's just over there."

"Huh?"

But Itachi was already pulling Sakura with him, an atypical enthusiasm to his steps.

"First things first," he said, heading in the direction of the main family table.

"How's your mom been handling her empty nest syndrome?" asked Sakura hesitantly.

Itachi's silence was all the answer she needed.

_Gird your loins, she's going to latch on! _screamed Inner Sakura.

"You'll be fine," whispered Itachi for her ears only as they maneouvered around a couple blocking their way.

_Yes, but this is the first time I'm arriving on your arm instead of Sasuke's and this feels a little awkward; and I don't know how this changes the dynamics of things with your family,_ Outer Sakura wanted to freak out and exclaim. But she bit the inside of her cheek, too excited at the small victory she had gained over Itachi's stubborn resolve.

_He means it for the best, _one side of her argued. _He wants to give you time so you know what you want._

_I know what I want, and I want it now, _retorted Inner Sakura, who kept trying to get Outer Sakura's gaze to lower to Itachi's backside. And she thought his arms were—_Eyes up, eyes up, his mother is coming! I repeat, his mother is coming!_

_I am so going to Hell._

_Inner, stop trying to get me on the Express to the underworld._

_Never. Life is for the living, Outer._

Sakura took a deep breath to clear her head.

"Itachi darling! And you brought Sakura dear!" Mikoto folded Sakura into a loving hug while giving her son a peck on the cheek. He leaned in dutifully to receive it. "I'm so happy to see you made it! I was beginning to wonder."

"The weather is getting ugly out there. Luckily Itachi has snow tires," said Sakura. "It's so good to see you!" She hugged Mikoto back, relieved. No awkwardness. Thank the heavens.

"Good evening, mother," said Itachi, pulling back and resting his hand around Sakura's waist, softly proprietary, proud to be seen with her. It sent a small thrill up and down Sakura's spine. "You are well?"

"Absolutely perfect now," said Mikoto, her smile beaming at them. "I'm getting everything I wanted for Christmas. I couldn't ask for more."

"What did you want for Christmas?" asked Sakura, Mikoto's happiness infecting and relaxing her until Itachi's hand on her waist suddenly tightened, pulling her closer. The movement caused Sakura to half-turn from her original angle from the demanding nature of it; but already she'd felt a frightening aura of malice directed at her, her arms and neck erupting in goosebumps, her fine hair standing on its end. The sensation was far less pleasant than it had been in the confines of Itachi's car earlier that evening.

The sight in front of her froze the blood in her veins.

"Sasuke," greeted Itachi, voice calm and polite. Yet his hand stayed at Sakura's waist; fingers splayed possessively. His thumb stroked her back.

The violence promised in Sasuke's dark eyes would have ended a weaker person, Sakura thought. Even she felt the malevolence emanating from Sasuke as he stood in front of them. Sasuke stared at both of them, his chest heaving, his expression blank, stony.

"Welcome back," breathed Sakura, searching his eyes.

Something had changed in him, but she couldn't put her finger on it. The Sasuke she'd known before would have reacted immediately to her, in one way or another. This one… just kept staring. And he was quiet. Sasuke wasn't a big talker to begin with, but he had never refused to acknowledge her before, no matter how angry they'd been with one another.

The Sasuke before her now was a barely leashed body of…

That's what it was, she thought with fresh uncertainty. She couldn't read him.

While she wasn't a mind reader by any means, Sakura had learned to read Sasuke very well over the years. But the man before wasn't her Sasuke. She didn't know who he was. It unsettled her in a strange and uncomfortable way. Had he changed so much in only a few months?

"Sasuke?" Her brow furrowed as she took a half-step closer, only for Itachi to tighten his grip around her waist and halt her progress. She turned to look at him over her shoulder, surprised to find his eyes narrowed on his brother.

"Welcome back, Sasuke," repeated Itachi.

The silence stretched, and Sakura felt Itachi's grip on her waist tug her closer to him and… a little behind him? Did he think Sasuke would really—

The twitch in Sasuke's shoulders were the only warning she got when she felt Itachi shoving her behind him as Sasuke was suddenly nose to nose with his brother, tension building between them to fever pitch.

"Really, Itachi? You're trying to take my place already?" hissed Sasuke, his lips barely moving.

"Stand down, Sasuke. If you embarrass yourself, you'll upset mother," said Itachi.

Their hands were clenched into fists, Sakura noticed, her eyes flickering between the two men.

Itachi remained a bit taller, but Sasuke had filled out his frame, giving way to more of an adult's highly athletic physique than he'd left with. The martial artist in her appreciated the work he had obviously put into his health and training, but the medic in her was already cataloguing the effects of fatigue (limp, shaggy hair, dark-rimmed, sunken eyes) and excessive stress (tightened jaw, strained eyes, corded neck muscles, deep furrows similar to Itachi's around his eyes and jaw) that tainted his handsome face. Yes, she could admit he was still handsome; more handsome now than before, in his elegantly cut suit, longer, styled hair, and confident, aggressive stance.

Another light went on in Sakura's mind. Sasuke was aggressive, to Itachi's assertive; for Itachi was indeed asserting a claim to their circumstances, calmly, confidently, while Sasuke seemed fully prepared and ready to brawl with his own flesh and blood brother.

_Sasuke, Itachi, what happened? _She wanted to ask desperately. This wasn't how brothers were meant to act.

"You're finally seeing eye-to-eye!"

Sakura turned incredulous eyes on Mikoto who broke into the 'conversation'.

"Fugaku, look! The boys are almost the same height. I told you he'd grown while he was away. Is it that new housekeeper you have cooking for you all the time, Sasuke? She sounded like she knew all your favourite dishes. She's the one preparing your meals now, isn't she?"

Through the couples and bands of Uchiha, Fugaku arrived at his wife's side, staring down his pair of gnashing sons before his eyes took in Sakura's tense state and wide eyes.

He turned to his youngest. "I didn't realise you intended to make it in time. Welcome home, Sasuke."

"Father," replied Sasuke. His head turned towards Fugaku, however his eyes remained on Itachi.

Sakura turned pleading eyes on the patriarch of the Uchiha clan. This wasn't normal. Nothing about this scene was normal and she needed help.

"Housekeeper?" asked Fugaku in a monotone. "Is that it? Sit with us and tell us what's been happening. We've barely been able to reach you these last weeks."

Reaching out to his younger son's hand and shaking it, Fugaku slid between Itachi and Sasuke before guiding Sasuke with a hand on his shoulder over to the table where he and his wife had reserved spots.

_Thank you, thank you, thank you, _sighed Sakura internally.

"Are you all right?" Itachi leaned close to Sakura's ear. It was then she noticed she had begun trembling at some point and that her hands were pale from how tightly she'd clenched her fingers. With some effort she released her grip one finger at a time and nodded. A half-second later, Itachi had moved closer and taken both her hands in his, warming them between his larger ones.

"May I get you a drink? Water? Wine?" he asked.

"Water would be great, thank you," said Sakura, lifting their entwined hands up to pull her shawl closer. She wasn't sure why, but the chill she felt surrounding her seemed to be coming from the inside and spreading outwards instead of the other way around.

The dinner wasn't much better. It wasn't long before she excused herself politely to take a moment to 'breathe' and left to find a quiet corner to gather her composure.

The meal had been tense and awkward, but Mikoto had been so excited to have her family reunited for the first time in nearly five months that no one had the heart to break it to her that her sons were nearly at each other's throats. (Merry Christmas)

And Sakura had been caught between them. Literally. Between the two of them at the table. (Fantastic, had it been. Not.)

If she hadn't been so worried about ruining her make-up, but mostly Ino's talented work, she would have ducked her head in her hands and run off to the bathroom to avoid them... if only to stop herself from beating them each over the head for being stupid and hostile.

What was going on? Weren't Uchiha supposed to be intelligent? Okay, Shisui kind of broke the mould, but why were the rest of the clan so frustratingly stubborn? At least Shisui had kept her secret with Deidara under wraps, and tonight he'd been a sanity saver. He'd teased her about her interest fleeting between Sasuke to Itachi a few times, good naturedly, but he hadn't held it over her head like an anvil. Maybe she should ask him to drop some subtlety tips on Itachi and Sasuke about how to get along instead of trying to piss on each other.

Boys. They were so complicated.

She let out a sigh. She loved them so much, but did it have to feel like she was walking on pins and needles around them? She couldn't tell what was going on between them.

She'd snuck away for a few minutes to clear her head and take a break from the tension. The quiet had done her good, but she still had so many questions. Who else could she ask for help?

Closing her eyes a moment she considered her options.

Sakura refused to look around as she felt the warmth emanating from his chest against her back.

"You did well this term," he said quietly. "Everyone is quite impressed. Your marks, your volunteering, your determination. They're taking notice."

She shrugged. "How are you doing?"

Itachi moved closer. "Well enough."

Sakura bit her tongue, her brow furrowing. Itachi caught her eyes in the reflection of the window they looked through. He tipped his head forward slightly, holding her gaze.

She took it as acceptance that she pursue the inquiry she struggled with.

"It's been quiet recently. Did… Did they find him?"

His eyes darkened, and he shook his head. "No," he said softly. "But it is an open investigation."

"Am I being watched by the department?"

"Yes."

She nodded in acceptance, her face tight but resigned. Outside the darkness enveloped the landscape, the light blanket of snow a welcome surprise that swathed the trees, paths, and gardens in a blue haze. The sleet had ended during their meal leaving a protective sheen over the gardens and everything in them.

She sighed as she looked down, until she felt a gentle, warm hand close around her elbow and another at her shoulder that tenderly moved down her back.

"You will be safe."

"Itachi, I know your family are doing their best, but I don't want platitudes. I know that there's a threat. I need to know what I can do to minimize it," Sakura said, shoulders slumping. "And… And tonight has been stressful."

The hand returned to her shoulder, squeezed gently, and slowly swept her hair to the side.

Her breathing became deeper, faster, as her chest rose and fell and she felt his breath warm and caress the exposed flesh of her throat.

"Nothing will happen to you, Sakura."

His hair, which had been tied back in a high ponytail, had loosened enough that his bangs brushed the nape of her neck as he leaned over her, lips at her ear. Sakura's knees trembled, her eyes closing as his hand smoothed down her arm to take her hand, the other closing around her hip.

"I promise," he breathed in her ear. The skin of his lips touched her hair, and she shivered as goosebumps rose along her arms.

"Itachi—" she began, voice hoarse, turning to meet his eyes, their noses touching. He leaned forward, their eyes closing.

Footsteps, soft and hesitant, sounded as the door behind them opened.

"Sakura? Mom said you were down here. Do you have a few…" Sasuke's voice trailed off as he entered the dark room. "Itachi?"

"Hn?" Itachi straightened, but did not let go of Sakura. For her part, Sakura felt her heart beating at a racing gallop, and swallowed to calm herself. Itachi felt her racing pulse beneath his fingers, and a sense of smug male pride grew in his chest. "Welcome home, Sasuke."

"Sasuke?" Sakura turned in Itachi's arms, her head tilted to the side.

Outlined from the hallway light, Sasuke stood in the doorway, unmoving, watching them in return. Limned as he was from behind, they could not see his expression.

"You're home for the holidays?" asked Sakura. Itachi's hand squeezed and kneaded her shoulder and she nodded and glanced at him; he withdrew it, slowly. His fingertips trailed a blaze in their wake.

"Yes," Sasuke said, his voice thick. He cleared his throat. "I thought we could catch up."

Sakura glanced at Itachi once more before nodding at Sasuke. "Sure," she said. "I brought some of your things back from my place. Little things. I left a box in your room. I didn't know you were coming."

"It was a last-minute decision," he said. "Itachi." The brothers looked at each other a moment before Sasuke calmly opened the door wider and stepped aside. "If you don't mind."

"Of course." Itachi touched Sakura's lower back in goodbye, nodding to her one last time. "Sakura."

"Thank you, Itachi."

"Anytime."

He left Sasuke and Sakura alone.

"My room?" asked Sasuke after a few beats of silence.

"Sure."

As she passed by, Sasuke's hand automatically rose to take hers—but Sakura's hands were twisted together in front of her.

Sasuke followed her to his room in silence, staring straight ahead.

* * *

They looked at each other, her from her seat at his desk, he from across the room.

Neither looked at the bed.

"Here are your things." Sakura nudged the box on his desk with her arm, forced a smile at him. It didn't reach her curious eyes as she looked him over. "How are you doing?"

"Good."

"You don't look… How is work? Is it busy? Hard?"

"Work is," Sasuke opened his mouth to say more, but the words wouldn't come. How much had he longed to see her, be with her, touch her. Now, she was so close but felt further than ever from him.

She tilted her head as she looked at him, raised her brows.

"Are you not allowed to talk about it?"

"Some of it is confidential," he agreed. Again he hesitated, and his chest tightened with his frustration with himself. He'd waited so long for her. How could he not speak?

Sakura's shoulders lifted and slumped as she took a deep breath and released it. "Well, if I've forgotten anything, just text me. Ino has the car again starting tomorrow, so she can probably drop it off with you before you go," she said, turning in her seat to stand, brushing off her dress. "I should probably get back, it's getting late. Your parents and Itachi invited me over, and I don't want to overstay my welcome. It was good seeing you again, Sasuke."

_No._

Panic seeped into Sasuke's veins, and his breathing came faster. No, she couldn't go yet.

She stood in front of him, now, and smiled sadly at him. "See you around."

_No. No, no, no. _His heart hammered in his chest, his gut curled tightly in knots. He was losing her all over again.

"S-Sakura, I—…" He swallowed, his hands nearly shaking. He tightened them to fists and held them at his sides to hide his weakness from her.

She turned to look at him over her shoulder, a hand on the door.

"I—"

_I miss you. I need you. I love you. I don't want to go back. I need you._

_I made a mistake._

But Sakura misunderstood his pauses, and shrugged her shoulder, quirking half a smile. "See you later, Sasuke. Maybe I'll see you at New Years," she said.

Before his eyes she opened the door, light burst around her like a halo, and he saw his father waiting just outside in the hallway.

"Hi Mr Uchiha, were you looking for Sasuke?"

"Hn. Actually, Itachi said he thought you may want to return home soon, but Mikoto called him away. Would you like a ride?"

"That would be wonderful, but I don't want to put you out," she said, tone apologetic.

"I am happy to drive you."

Relief coursed through Sakura, Sasuke saw. Her smile widened as she looked at his father. "Thank you, sir."

It confused Sasuke as he watched his father's expression soften understandingly towards Sakura. "I'll see you at the garage doors in a few minutes." He looked up and nodded at his son. "Sasuke."

"Father," said Sasuke, unable to hide the weariness in his voice. He turned back to his room, hands on his hips, and swallowed; and missed the lightening of his father's brows, the softening of the lines around his mouth as he regarded his son.

Head lowering Sakura left through the door and into the light of the hallway. "Bye, Sasuke."

"Later," he said, hoarse.

Sasuke dropped onto his bed, propping his elbows on his knees, head in hand.

* * *

In the military-reinforced SUV, Fugaku said nothing to Sakura as he witnessed the young woman's lips trembling, eyes reddening, hands tucked in her sleeves. When they stopped at a light, her sniffles became audible, he passed her a handkerchief.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, barely able to speak.

He sighed before patting her on the back. "Give things time, Sakura. Time."

She nodded and cried harder into the handkerchief.

* * *

As Fugaku sat in bed that night, propped up on his standard single pillow, pyjamas in order, teeth brushed, he wondered about the strange situation between his sons and their friend.

Normally he was the one consoling his wife's fretting.

It was, he realized, uncomfortable to not know how to resolve a situation. For he knew Sasuke had always loved Sakura, and had probably not understood all that entailed, for Sasuke was young, so young, in so many ways. He'd grown and matured, certainly, in his time in Oto. Fugaku recognized darkness and tension that hung on his youngest son's shoulders, a weight that had not been there before. The tight lines of Sasuke's jaws now, the cold patience, the dispassionate aloofness he surrounded himself with. They weren't the passive amusement and confident smugness he had before. He still wore those, but less superficially now. Sasuke understood now darkness on a personal level. Fugaku wasn't aware of the details, but he knew Sasuke was involved in something that he wasn't prepared for; but he had never been as close to Sasuke as his wife was, and didn't know if he should test the waters with Sasuke, or let him find his own way. If he couldn't broach the topic, he couldn't guide Sasuke to find the answers. He had to watch his son struggle, with the issue whatever it was, with himself, and now, with his feelings and the situation with Sakura, his first love. His closest friend.

Fugaku wanted to make them see reason, force them into some kind of intervention with the goal of cooperation and collaboration and somehow emotional intimacy once more, as he knew, without a doubt, that that was what his son needed. Sasuke was a reticent little bastard, yes, but he was one who felt things so deeply he didn't know how to deal when he didn't have that no-holds-barred / no-strings-attached / call-anytime completely freeing emotional connection with someone. With Sakura, he reminded himself, closing his eyes. It had always been Sakura. Naruto for bro-time, and Sakura for his heart.

And where before he would have steered one son to the other, he sensed this would not necessarily work to either's advantage. At least, not…

Fugaku sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and leaned his head back against the wall behind the headboard.

Itachi.

So his hunch had been correct, after all this time. Anyone else, and he would have counselled Sasuke to just be patient. But no one, no one on Earth, was more patient than Itachi could be. Or more focused. The boy—young man, he corrected himself— had given everything to get himself where he wanted to be. He had attended the police academy training as Fugaku had requested, had studied and continued through university, had become a scholar, a pacifist of all things, had remained in the military reserves and served his mandatory time, become involved in the community… and had only ever denied Fugaku when he refused to join the police force.

"_I can do more from here," he'd said calmly._

_Fugaku had nearly lost his temper with his oldest son that day. "What good can you do here? Sitting behind a desk? Working for the force, think of the individuals you could help, son."_

_Itachi had held his father's gaze, then pulled open a document on his computer. _

"_These are some of the laws being debated at the moment; these sections," he indicated in red font, "are the ones I wrote to give the police more authority to step in and involve Community Mental Health professionals on a priority basis, in cases of suspected abuse, and here," he indicated sections in green, "are areas that I recommended that give more power to social services to support those in treatment facilities or with financial, mental, or emotional challenges, to help provide for them so they do not become law-defying in the first place." He brought up another document, and Fugaku goggled; the law had recently passed, and he was expecting new guidelines to be passed to his departments soon. Itachi was showing them to him, now. "These are the suggestions I contributed to create a mental health awareness and training guide for the force, to reduce the amount of violence used against members of the force, and members of the community who have damaged or… altered cognitive abilities."_

_Itachi had looked in his father's eyes. _

"_You're trying to prevent another Madara," realized Fugaku._

_Itachi nodded. _

"_This… this will help so many people."_

_Itachi nodded again._

_Flummoxed, Fugaku just looked at his son. "You're right. You're a stronger fighter, here."_

_The lines around Itachi's eyes softened slightly, his shoulders relaxing. "Ah."_

_Fugaku had squeezed Itachi's shoulder, leaning forward to look more clearly at the screen. "What can you tell me about what's coming down the line, then?..."_

Itachi. His pacifist. Who always fought for others, especially those who could not fight for themselves.

Who now, finally, fought for himself. Of all things, for—Fugaku fought hard not to roll his eyes—love. Ugh. Sappy, romantic. He got it from his mother.

_Did it have to be against his own little brother, though? _Fugaku swallowed a grunt of frustration. Stubborn, the pair of them. In this they also took after their mother.

But, if nothing else, reasoned Fugaku, in this hopeless situation… If Itachi was interested in Sakura, they could guarantee her safety from Madara. Because Itachi would not let anything happen to her.

But Itachi had his own work to do, his own schooling to complete. He couldn't be everywhere at once.

Yes, they had officers monitoring Sakura's home, but without a proper bodyguard, she wasn't going to be completely safe until she moved into a secure residence and was escorted personally.

Fugaku's brow wrinkled, and he felt a soft, cool hand running her fingertips over them.

"Should I get an iron to smooth those out for you?" asked Mikoto.

"Hn."

She giggled and curled up beside him. "You worry too much you know. The kids will work this out. They're our boys."

"Hn." His tone indicated he didn't put much faith in her optimism.

"You're so stubborn. One thing at a time, Fugaku. One thing at a time."

Not for the first time, Fugaku was grateful he had someone who believed in him; who curled around him at night, and who smiled at him as he woke in the morning. He grunted once more, turned out the light, and lay down to sleep.

"Do you think they would _share _her?" asked Mikoto, entirely too curious… and invested.

_Oh gods fuck, she had to make it worse, didn't she?_

Fugaku groaned.

* * *

In the privacy of his bedroom, freshly cleaned and painted, Madara lay back on his bed and observed the laptop monitor, occasionally flipping between different channels to view the content from the many security cameras he'd installed in Sakura's apartment.

After returning the keys to the backhoe he'd borrowed that day, and finishing off his preparations for his Christmas gifts for Sakura, he'd enjoyed a relaxing bath and set up a little observation cocoon from which to watch over her.

His heart had leapt in his chest when she'd returned to her apartment that night after the party; watching that friend of hers, Ino, finessing her magic on Sakura had been enlightening. He'd never realized how much work went into such elaborate styling. He had a newfound respect for the blond, even if she did jeopardize too much of Sakura's time. But she made Sakura happy. She could stay, for now.

His grip in his lap had clenched, however, when he'd realized that Sakura wasn't hunched over from laughter, but rather from her untamed sobbing as she collapsed on her couch.

His brow furrowed.

What had upset his goddess?

With a flick of his fingers he sought the mic controls and turned on the volume, allowing him to listen to her pain.

His nails dug into his thighs as he made out only a few words amidst her beautiful, ugly tears.

"I'm so sorry…. Sasuke…"

Madara's eyes narrowed.

* * *

**AN: Next up, New Years! It may not be posted exactly at New Years', but I am doing my best. Major thanks to my wonderful beta, Em, and to awesome friend, nikolita, for all their help with this chapter. All errors remain my own. In an effort to post this chapter faster, I will answer reviews for both last chapter (Ch 15) and this chapter (Ch 16) in next chapter's update (Ch 17)! Thank you for your patience, and I hope you're all enjoying your holidays!**

**AN2: Ahem. There was also a side story / highly requested scene (between Sakura and Itachi) that many had requested in PMs and comments. That has been posted. But due to its rating, is not available on this site at this time. Cough cough. SO, if you're reading between the lines and wanting more before we hit New Years, feel free to check out my AO3 account (moor), or my tumblr (beyondthemoor). You're looking for "Forest Fire II / III - Side story by moor". Enjoy responsibly, lovely readers, and happy December!**


	17. Christmas

**Chapter 17 - Christmas**

The damage was terrible.

The dark smears across her pillow, the lipstick smudged across half her face, her hair a nest under the best of terms…6

And don't get her started on the state of her raccoon eyes. Was that make-up? Bags? Bloodshot eyes? All of the above?

It was like a gala had a tragedy all over Sakura, trampling her under its buffalo tonnage and wrath.

Her shoulders sagging, Sakura dropped her head forward and closed her eyes, bracing herself against the edges of the sink.

"Merry Christmas Eve," she muttered.

At least she'd had the sense to take off her gown and hang it up before collapsing into bed the night before and crying herself to sleep.

Thank heavens for small favours.

_Toothbrush_, Inner prodded her. _Start with the toothbrush. The rest will… You know what, just start with the toothbrush._

Even Inner was abandoning her. The shame.

After much convincing, Sakura finally reached for the toothbrush. Then the doorbell rang.

She dropped her head to the rim of the sink and debated just hiding in the cabinets for the day.

* * *

Shisui pressed his face up against the window by the door of Sakura's apartment.

"You're sure she's home today?"

Itachi yanked him back by his collar. "Stop acting like a peeping Tom." Itachi knocked again. "And yes." He waited, listening for sounds from within. He lowered his voice, adding, "The surveillance team said no one entered or left after she arrived last night."

Shisui's dark eyes wilted a bit at the corners before he nodded.

"You guys took up all her time last night. I barely even got to say hi," he pouted, lifting his hand to knock again. Itachi grabbed it and let out a sigh.

"She's ignoring us."

"Oh, we can fix that! Hey! Sakura! It's cold out here! Let us in! It's Shisui Uchiha and Ita—gkk!"

Sighing under his breath, Itachi lifted a hand to his ear and tapped the device hooked behind it. "No, nothing is wrong. The two 'suspicious individuals' are myself and a member of my family," he relayed via his mic. "Stand down. Thank you, good work."

Shisui gaped at him before his shoulders sagged in understanding. "This isn't a purely social visit," he realized aloud.

Itachi shook his head.

"Is everything recorded?"

Itachi considered. "Everything is monitored," he phrased carefully.

"Does she know she's under surveillance?"

Itachi hesitated before giving a half-nod. "It's for her own safety."

A hand lifted to sift through his curly hair, Shisui's expression was pained. "That's only part of it, though, right. Your dad's hoping that watching her will give us clues as to how to find that—"

The door opened, effectively silencing Shisui's musing.

"Sakura!" he burst out, ignoring her wide eyes. "Merry Christmas!"

"Shisu—Itac—ooph! Hahahahhaha, Shisui! I've missed your hugs," she laughed, her wan face brightening with a tired smile. "Come on in, I'll put on some coffee. And tea," she said, looking up at Itachi. "Hey."

"Good afternoon," he said quietly, following Shisui inside.

Hanging up his coat in the front closet—Shisui tossed his over the back of the nearest chair—Itachi joined Shisui and Sakura in her kitchen.

"What are your plans for the holidays?" Shisui was already pulling down mugs while Sakura filled the kettle.

"R&amp;R and volunteering, mostly. And looking for a part-time job."

Itachi's brow furrowed, and Shisui's arm slowed as he reached for the sugar.

"Part-time job?" asked Shisui.

"Mmm," Sakura sighed. "I have enough to live on, but things are pretty close. And I'd like to have a little extra for… little things."

Shisui watched her eyes flick over to Itachi as she pressed her lips together.

"What kind of work are you looking for? I could ask around the hospital… though those are usually unionized," Shisui admitted. "You have to meet a certain number of hours, and pay dues…"

Sakura shook her head, smiling at him. "Thank you, but I'm looking for something that would be strictly evenings, if possible. That way I focus on school during the day, volunteering on weekends, and then occasional evening work to save a bit of pocket money. Cash work would be best," she murmured to herself.

"We'll keep our eyes out for you," said Shisui. "So, what's up for your R&amp;R? Spa day? Trip to see your parents? Girly nights in?"

"Girly night in already accomplished," chuckled Sakura. "As for the rest… I haven't heard from my parents in a few weeks, now that you mention it. No spa day, either. I'm just hoping to catch up on my sleep. Read a few books. Maybe go dancing. You?"

"Actually, Itachi and I are heading out to a few of the Uchiha properties to inspect them for Uncle. Want to come with us?"

The kettle whistled and Sakura poured it over the tea pot.

"Do you have any plans for today?" asked Itachi, accepting his cup from Sakura, and the sugar from Shisui.

"What do you need me for?"

"Company."

"I don't know," she wrapped her hands around her cup and lead them to the sofa. "Are you sure that will be okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be? You joined us before?"

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek. "Things were a little different, last year, when I helped," she said quietly.

"What do you mean? Because Sasu—," Shisui broke off with a cough, rubbing his side. "Nah, it's fine. The rest of the family's busy today."

Letting out a small sigh of relief, Sakura relented, giving them. a small smile.

"I would love to join you."

* * *

Knocking gently on Sasuke's door, Mikoto poked her head into the dark room.

"Wakey wakey, sleepyhead," she sang, stepping through and pausing by his bed. "I know it's your first day back, and that you want to sleep longer, but I thought we'd go to your favourite restaurant and catch up for a bit. Naruto called earlier, but I told him you were still resting and… Sasuke? Honey?"

She reached out and pulled the blankets down a bit, then fully away from the bundle on the bed.

"Sasuke?"

The bed was empty.

* * *

Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle for the first time since the summer felt awkward to Sasuke. He'd been riding the train in to work for so long, or relied on taxis for short-term, immediate transportation, that it took him a moment to re-acclimate to the SUV's interior. Technically, this was his mother's car however more often than not when he had lived there previously, he had been the vehicle's driver. Driving Sakura home from school or work so often, the vehicle had been more his than his mother's. One time, he remembered, Sakura had even been the one to open up the gates and garage doors, in the rain, while he drove in. She'd been wearing a white shirt, and in the pouring rain it had—

Shaking his head to clear his memories, Sasuke pressed the button on the remote to open the automatic garage door.

In his coat pocket, he felt the velvet box burning against his thigh.

Last night… last night there had been too many distractions. The timing was off.

He just needed another chance. Some time, undisturbed. They could talk things out.

Itachi had been there, with her, last night. But that was close to normal; he couldn't have taken Sasuke's own place. Not that quickly. He had been merely a placeholder until Sasuke returned. That was all.

Even if Sakura had been literally between himself and his brother all night, she hadn't left with either of them. That counted for something. She left with his father; which counted for everything.

Pulling out of his gated driveway, Sasuke put the SUV in gear in the snow and headed towards Sakura's apartment.

* * *

Smiling a little to himself and humming a little tune, Madara patted down the earth with his gloved hand. With a stretch and a dusting off of his jacket, he straightened, tilting his head to each side to loosen it after so much time crouched over. Finally, his work was complete.

As he perused his accomplishment, he leaned his hip against the domestic-sized excavator he'd come across. It had just been sitting there in the construction yard, no one using it. They'd even been good enough to leave the keys tucked inside the lockbox in the main office in the trailer. With no one around, it had been child's play to borrow it. There were definite benefits to being a night owl.

"And one for you," he recited, pinning a paper to one stone. "And one for you…"

The ritual went on and on, one for each stone he'd left atop each imperfectly rounded mound of dirt.

"And one for you," he sighed, placing the last letter on the last stone.

How lucky was it that he'd found this construction site.

Well, not construction site.

Cemetery.

He'd been so careful with each letter; it was handwritten, laminated, attached to the stone so it wouldn't be torn away by wind or rain.

So much trouble. He'd gone to so much trouble for this; but now, it would finally come together.

He'd completed step one; successfully escaping that ridiculous prison that had held him too long.

He'd now completed step two; practicing how to be a dutiful husband and father, and working out all the badness. Yes, all of it. He was a changed man, he could feel it.

In an effort to become the best man he could be, to put his best foot forward, he'd even gone so far as to seek the blessing of those people who mattered most to her. To his Sakura.

His brow furrowed as he patted the last stone, the one that matched its partner, just beside it. The pair of dirt mounds nearly identical in this case. He'd put in an extra effort to show how much he cared. It had been an accident. He hadn't meant to, exactly… it just… happened.

He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs.

Tomorrow. Christmas Day. Tomorrow would be such an amazing day now that he'd finished his gifts for Sakura.

For now, dawn neared and it was time for bed.

* * *

"How much further?"

Shisui turned in his seat in his all wheel drive vehicle, even as Itachi drove over the bumps and potholes in the dirt road.

"This one's a bit further out of the way. Another ten to fifteen minutes, maybe," he said.

"The family haven't used this property in ages," confirmed Itachi from the driver's seat. "It is an old farm house that a distant branch of the family maintained. They left it to the family after they passed away, as they had no children."

"I think we had a few picnics here when I was a kid, but that was before Itachi-chan was born," teased Shisui, winking at Sakura. "Once Uncle Fugaku had kids, we stopped going to some of the more distant properties. He was too busy, and too highly ranked in the para-military police, to risk being away from Konoha for long."

Itachi was silent as he focused on the slippery, rutted dirt road ahead of them. They travelled through deep forest and had left the main highway some time ago to bump along the private road. They'd had to work on the gate locks which blocked the entrance to the road for some time before Itachi finally retrieved a hatchet from the toolbox in the back of Shisui's Land Rover and chopped the posts down.

"How come you're checking it now?" asked Sakura as they continued on down the road, past the splintered posts.

"It is my responsibility," said Itachi. His eyes never left the road.

"Up until now, Itachi's been too busy to check this one. He has rarely been around Konoha to attend to his landholder duties as heir. This is the first time he's taking time away from work, and work, and work, and school to commit to his clan duties in full." Shisui pulled up a map and an old, yellowed notebook. "Have we passed the red-post marker yet?"

"No," said Itachi.

"Just checking to make sure I hadn't missed it." He looked up from the map and squinted through the window. "Really?"

"Hn."

Shisui winked at Itachi. "You put your contacts in, right?"

"Contacts?" Sakura leaned forward between the seats to get a closer look at Itachi, who gave Shisui a sour look.

"Itachi's eyes are terrible."

"Shisui." Itachi's expression darkened.

It only served to egg Shisui on. He grinned widely. "Yes?"

Sakura laughed at Shisui's flirty tone.

"Keep your eyes on the road," said Itachi. "What other landmarks can we look for?"

"The red post was the most obvious one," admitted Shisui, flipping through some papers before stopping on a particular page.

It was silent in the cabin of the SUV as Shisui held himself very still.

"Shisui?" asked Itachi.

"Hn?"

"You are very quiet."

"Hn."

"This is a rare enough occurrence to be deemed profoundly disturbing."

Shisui cleared his throat and gave Itachi a wide grin.

"I may have made a small miscalculation."

The SUV growled and skidded to a stop as Itachi turned his head agonizingly slowly to look at Shisui. Sakura felt a shiver shimmy down her spine at the smooth motion.

"But not to worry! There's plenty of room to… Hmmm… Perhaps not turn around. Reverse! We can reverse back down to the last cross-road—"

"Twenty two kilometres ago," said Itachi evenly.

"—and turn around and then once we're back on the main road, we can—"

"Um, does this mean we need to find the property owner? We did chop down those posts with the chains…" interrupted Sakura in a quiet voice.

Shisui paused mid-sentence, mouth gaping open, as Itachi's eyes narrowed on him.

"Are we on the correct road at all?" asked Itachi. His hands remained on the wheel, and he put the vehicle in neutral with the engine running to maintain the heat.

"Technically, yes and no."

Itachi's grip tightened.

"What I mean is, yes, this is a road that leads to the property; the thing is, it's an old service road, not the main road, which explains why we haven't seen the usual turn offs and the signposts and markers."

"So we're heading up through the back way?"

"Yes, in a way. I was thinking this road was rough; if we'd been in a regular car we wouldn't have made it this far. Oh that reminds me, how's your back doing, Itachi? And your leg? Do you need to switch?"

"Fine," said Itachi smoothly. Sakura swallowed her fear.

"The good news is, we aren't that far from a double-wide portion of the road. There must have been others we didn't notice because we weren't looking for them. The trucks needed them in case one vehicle was coming up the road while another was coming down, so one could move to the side while the other passed." He held up a map and pointed. "Right here."

He waited a tick before presenting it closer to Itachi to see. "See?"

"Hn."

Itachi leaned back in his seat a moment, and Sakura watched him, his eyes focused on something in the distance.

"We still have a full tank of gas in the back?" he asked, and Sakura turned around to check the uncovered, open area of the trunk.

"One full, tall tank, the other is a small tank. It is at least three-quarters full," she said.

Itachi put the vehicle back in gear. "We continue on."

It was another half an hour before they reached the building, and the sight was unexpected.

"There are tire tracks," said Sakura, surprised. "Did someone else check this one for you?"

"No," said Shisui. He was also looking at the multiple sequences of tracks.

"How long ago was it since this residence was used?" asked Itachi from the driver's seat.

"Fifteen to twenty years, at least. Twenty since your father came here. Branch family may have used it intermittently since then for a weekend or so, but," Shisui shook his head. "Most had forgotten it. Sasuke probably doesn't even know about it."

"But the older generation would remember," said Itachi.

Shisui nodded slowly before his head whipped around to stare at Itachi.

The interior of the vehicle remained silent for a moment as Itachi and Shisui considered some possibility Sakura wasn't a part of. She took the opportunity to pull her phone from her pocket, then frowned. "We really are in the middle of nowhere. Even my phone doesn't have bars."

"Itachi—," began Shisui, but Itachi shook his head.

"Stay here," said Itachi.

Shisui brought a hand up to his curly hair and yanked on it, his eyes wide. "You can't be ser—"

"Stay with Sakura," ordered Itachi. "Is that clear?"

"Hmm? What's going on?" asked Sakura, uneasy with the vibe emanating from the men in front of her.

"Lock the doors, and do not exit the vehicle," said Itachi. He left the keys in the ignition and stared hard at Shisui. "Take the driver's seat but do not start the engine unless you see me come out of the building. Ensure it is me."

Shisui nodded, sober.

"Sakura? Could you put a timer on your phone for ten minutes?"

"Uh, sure?" She tapped her clock app and input it.

"Shisui, do the same," said Itachi, pulling out his smart phone and they coordinated their phone timers.

"Are we timing something? What are we doing?" asked Sakura. This was a new step in their property checking routine. The last two buildings they'd inspected had been done fairly quickly and casually. Shisui had known what he was doing, and taught Itachi a few things as they went along.

"There's no other vehicle out front," said Shisui carefully.

"Not that we can see from here. It doesn't mean that we're on our own," replied Itachi. He nodded at Shisui before they both opened their doors, in sync; Itachi popped open the rear trunk-door while Shisui hustled into the driver's seat. Sakura turned around to see what Itachi was getting, and her eyes popped wide when she saw the carbon case he pulled from under with one of the side-facing benches. He opened it with the top facing Sakura, but she heard the metallic clicking and clunking. She wasn't a complete idiot.

"Itachi," she breathed, and felt the blood in her veins slow as she caught sight of his cold expression.

"Precautionary," he said softly, the tightness around his brows and mouth relaxing a touch as their eyes met. "Listen to Shisui and do exactly as he says."

He stripped off his jacket and tossed it in the back of the Land Rover before opening another case. This one held… clothes? No, a vest, Sakura saw. A black and gray vest with buckles and straps. It looked weighted, with plating inside, but Itachi slid it on with ease and familiarity.

Sakura's heart felt heavy at that.

He pulled on black gloves with more carbon plating across the back, then with a quick tug down to ensure the fit, he gave Sakura a tight smile.

"I'll be right back."

She nodded. "Keep your ears open. Be safe."

He nodded and shut the trunk with a muffled slam.

"Do not leave this vehicle, Sakura," said Shisui when he saw Sakura's hand reaching for the door handle.

"You're not letting him go alone. I'm not letting him go alone," she said, glaring at Shisui.

"He has a gun and he told us to stay put. You go in there and he is going to be, at the very least, distracted, and at the very worst, accidentally shooting at you thinking you are…" Shisui's angry voice trailed off as he glared out the window at his younger cousin.

"Him," said Sakura. "You both think it's him holed up in there, don't you?"

"Who knows," said Shisui, flippant. His eyes continued scanning the trees, the property, the windows in the oversize, old farmhouse. "Maybe it's just some branch family member who forgot to send in the paperwork to the main house to indicate they'd be using this property for the holidays."

"But there's no vehicle here now, so he's not here! We can't let Itachi go in there by himself, what if there's a trap!"

"We do exactly as Itachi says," said Shisui, chest rising and falling tightly. "I swear, Sakura, if you don't listen to me I will tie you up and put you in the trunk to keep you safe. Don't make me spank you. Itachi knows exactly what he's doing."

"How would you know!"

Shisui's face flushed as he whirled around, lips pressed tight together.

Sakura's words died in her throat. She had never seen Shisui lose his temper before. Ever.

"First," he said, voice even. "I know you and Itachi are getting close, but it seems there are things he still hasn't told you. Like about his military service."

"I know he was part of the military, Shisui."

Shisui's eyes narrowed further. "Obviously he hasn't told you much about what he did while he was there, or you would not be questioning his decisions," snapped Shisui. "His actions are confidential, but I can tell you, they prepared him for… dealing with some unexpected situations.

"Second," he said, continuing. "Not only was he in the military, but he was very good at what he did while he was there. And there are enough people who want him back that it wouldn't take much for him to walk right into a well-placed position there. Instead, he chooses to be a pacifist and he works in academia. He uses his head and would prefer to keep it that way.

"Third," he said, calming somewhat. "Do you know why he walked away from that life? Or why he works so hard now, and has stuck around Konoha so much over the past year?"

Swallowing, her hands digging into her jeaned thighs to steady herself, Sakura shook her head.

Shisui looked at her.

"Because," he said, tired, "He has someone he cares about."

_Cares about and has cared about for a long time_, she remembered suddenly, the scene stirring in her mind. Kisame and Shisui discussing Itachi's personal business in the Peds Ward in October, when they had the fun-festival for the children of the ward. They had been teasing Itachi about liking someone, but not making a move on them.

How had she forgotten that? Had she been so wrapped up in her own feelings and concerns that she'd forgotten this?

_Someone he'd liked for a long time._

Sakura's heart dipped in her chest, before it began to sink.

_A long time, huh?_

She pressed her lips together, sitting back against the seat.

He'd only shown interest in her recently, really. What was it? Several months at most? Her insides pinched and her eyes pricked; she took a deep breath to steady herself. And there was a pretty significant age-gap between them. So…

_Idiot. Such an idiot._

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Look, I know you two have been getting close, and that you're worked up because you care about him, but sometimes you need to trust him. It's hard. I know it's hard. But he's… he's got everything under control."

She nodded, staring down at her phone. Itachi had six minutes left.

"Maybe," Shisui droned on, oblivious to Sakura's whirling emotions, "maybe when we get back, we can sit down with Itachi and he can explain a few things to you. It'll make a difference. You'll feel a lot more confident in him when it comes to… this kind of thing. I'll see if I can get him to open up. I'm pretty good at that. We've known each other since he was born, so if anyone can get him to talk, it's me. When we were kids, he kept so much to himself I worried about him, but he's actually loosened up a bit since you two started… your… uh…"

It took Sakura a moment to register Shisui's prattling had tapered off.

"Hmm?" she asked, hands listless in her lap.

She glanced up and saw Shisui's eyes were fixed on Itachi, who walked briskly back to the Land Rover.

Shisui popped the locks on the doors and reached over to open Itachi's door for him.

"Drive," said Itachi, closing the door and staring straight ahead from the front passenger seat. "Now."

Her curiosity gnawed at her insides. "Did you find anything?" Sakura scooted back in her seat and buckled her seat belt again, then looked between the two men up front.

Shisui buckled himself in before pulling away, heading for the main road.

"Back the way we came," directed Itachi. "Do not cross over the other vehicle's tracks." He looked behind them and noted their own, fresh, tire tracks, and let out a low breath. "Nothing for it," he murmured to himself.

Sakura looked at Itachi, then at the tracks. Did he mean he wanted to erase their tracks?... That would mean… hiding evidence they'd been there. It was too late. The tracks were laid. They couldn't change things now.

"Itachi?" asked Shisui, his eyes now on the treacherous road.

But Itachi had lifted a hand to his eyes and began massaging his temples, before his arm dropped down to his lap again. His shoulders were tense and while he looked calm, Sakura sensed something stirring inside him.

"Oy," teased Shisui quietly, forcing a smile. "Was it in that bad shape?"

Itachi stared ahead, ignoring him.

Eyes on the road, Shisui tried again. "After fifteen years of being closed up, was there dust everywhere? Nothing had crawled in and… left a smell, right?" he said, changing his words at the last minute.

Sakura's fingers knitted themselves into knots in her lap. She bit the inside of her cheek, then realised she did smell something odd.

She sniffed and wrinkled her nose. It was faint, but noticeable. And familiar. Like the hospital. The bad feeling intensified, and her hands pressed in close to her stomach as she instinctively started curling into herself.

She knew that smell.

Shisui, closer to Itachi, waved a hand and frowned at him mildly. "Ugh, what is that? The entire house must have smelled like that for it to still be so strong. It's like the surgery at the hospital…"

In the rearview mirror, Sakura saw Shisui's eyes widen while Itachi remained strangely calm.

"Paint." Itachi's words were clipped. "Bleach."

* * *

An hour later they had pulled to the side of the road, the blinkers flashing on the SUV. Itachi was outside, speaking to someone on his phone. Shisui had turned on the radio before he stepped out to join him, and it played quietly. Just loud enough so Sakura couldn't hear what was being said between them.

As curious as she was, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear about the details yet. Itachi had been very clear that until he got the okay from his father, he didn't want her to be involved. That included knowing what he'd seen inside the old farmhouse.

Her pocket vibrated, distracting her.

_**Hey, you free? I stopped by your place but you weren't there.**_

"Sasuke?" She looked at the caller ID. Message left nearly forty minutes prior. They'd been out of service range for quite a while without realizing it. She bit her lip.

_**I'm out right now, but I'll be back in this evening. You okay?**_ She texted him.

His follow-up message came so fast she didn't have time to put her phone down in her pocket. He was waiting for her reply? _**Yeah. Can I come over tonight to talk? It's been a while.**_

Sakura's brow furrowed, conflicted.

Was this a trick? Some kind of Netflix-and-chill ruse? She considered the situation and immediately felt a headache coming on. Why? Why were things so tangled? The old Sasuke would never have taken advantage of a girl for sex… but… well… things changed, didn't they?

_Stop it,_ said Inner. _You're going to overthink things. See what he wants, and evaluate from there. _

As if sensing her waffling, her phone buzzed again with another message. _**I have some of your things to return to you, too. I forgot to give them to you last night. I won't overstay my welcome. Catch up? **_

Sakura let out a slow breath, checking the time on her clock. Depending on how long they were waiting out here on the side of the road, it shouldn't take more than two hours to get back to Konoha.

_**So you admit you're a thieving bastard who made off with my favourite undies to Oto? Are you ransoming my unmentionables back to me?**_

Tapping 'send', Sakura pressed her lips together, a smirk pulling at the corners. Okay. Perhaps it had been too long since she'd razzed Sasuke.

_**I'm well aware of my parentage and was conceived with love, thank you. My mother has repeatedly confirmed this, in both our mutually horrified presences. I also volunteer to bring dinner. And dessert. Also, if they're unmentionable, how are you mentioning them?**_

Sakura let herself smile, just a bit. She certainly remembered Sasuke's pale face crumpling in on itself during more than one ride in his mom's car, where Mikoto was carting them off to one school event or another. Not that Sakura had primed Mikoto to embarrass Sasuke, or anything.

_**About six or six thirty okay? I'm not sure of exactly when I'll be back. If I'm going to be later, I'll let you know. **_She hit 'send'.

_**Works. Thank you. **_

'Thank you'? From Sasuke? Things had changed, she thought, impressed.

Then, a follow-up message from him.

_**See you tonight.**_

Sakura smiled softly down at her phone. Her heart wasn't fluttering, but it was warm.

She stared at the screen of her phone so long the backlight dimmed before going out, leaving Sakura stroking it with the edge of her thumb, lost in thought.

* * *

It was just before six when Shisui and Itachi dropped Sakura off at her apartment.

"I'll walk you to your door," said Itachi, already unbuckling his belt.

Sakura waved him off. "While you look like a member of the SWAT team?"

"That vest looks rather fetching on him, though, don't you think? In a manly, 'I'm ready to break down your door'- kind of way?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what my neighbours are going to mention when they see us coming, Shisui," said Sakura. She gave them a wink. "I'm a big girl. I'm just going to head up. If anything had happened, your family would have told you. I'm good to go."

She pulled her bag into her lap before she bit her lip and offered them each a gift-wrapped package. "Merry Christmas. Have a good evening with your families."

Tossing the car keys at Itachi, Shisui flipped around in his seat and half-launched himself into the back seat, throwing his arms awkwardly around Sakura. "You're so thoughtful! I can't wait until we hire you on staff permanently in eight years!"

Laughing, Sakura blushed and gave Shisui a quick hug in return. "Nothing big, just a little something to say thank you for having me."

"It's our pleasure," said Shisui, grinning. "And here's yours. Shhh, don't tell anyone, but it's a year-long transit pass. You can get anywhere in Konoha." He winked. "No more bus tokens for you!"

"Shisui, it's too much!"

He shook his head. "Nah, this is something useful for you. You can use it for school, work, going out, and it will renew automatically. No! No arguing. You're a good person. This is the least I can do for you. Most of the ward nurses chipped in, too."

Sakura bit her lip as her eyes warmed. "I'll bring some treats next time I'm in."

"I'm sure they'll enjoy that." Shisui gave her a last pat on the back before settling into his seat again.

"Ah," said Itachi, his voice more conservative.

"Hm?" asked Sakura when Shisui pulled away. "Do you not like them?" Sakura stared at the intact, rather small, paper-sized gift in Itachi's lap. Meanwhile, Shisui was tearing into his and exclaiming its brilliance.

"Hn? I have not opened it yet," said Itachi, turning to look back at Sakura.

Her good mood fell. Well, she couldn't spend a lot of money, so it wasn't big, but... "Ah. Well, I hope you like it. When you do open it," she added, forcing a smile. She opened her door and stepped out, waving to them. "Have a great evening!"

"Bye, Sakura!" called Shisui, waving as Sakura closed the door to the Land Rover and made her way to the stairs.

He kept smiling and waving to Sakura as she peeked over the railing outside her unit. She gave him a funny look before waving and turning to her door. Beside her, a figure emerged from the shadows.

Shisui tensed before recognizing it. He was still waving as he spoke out of the corner of his mouth to Itachi.

"You did speak to her about New Year's Eve, right?"

"Hn?" asked Itachi.

Shisui pointed up at Sakura's apartment and Itachi followed his line of sight, watching as Sasuke held open Sakura's door, before shutting it behind them.

* * *

"Come on in. Tea?"

Sasuke waited for Sakura to remove her snowy shoes and set them aside before he passed her half the food. "Tea." He swallowed to clear the dryness in his throat. "Thank you."

Sakura looked over her shoulder at Sasuke, her steps slowing. She gave a small nod.

"Hn?"

She shook her head, a small smile on her face. "You… you filled out. And your manners are showing."

Shoving down his nerves, Sasuke flashed her a smirk. "Good," he said smoothly.

He noted the small shiver that ran down Sakura's back as she carried the food to her kitchen table. Not her couch and living room. Hn.

"How have you been?"

"Good. Busy," he said, joining her and collecting cutlery from the drawers in her kitchen. He recalled where everything was and it took him but moments to collect it, remembering from long experience what to pass to Sakura for their meal. He'd chosen their favourites. He chose hers and opened it first, popping it down in front of her with neat, efficient movements. "Sit. Eat."

She quirked a brow at him. "Telling me what to do in my own kitchen?"

"You've been out all day. Relax," he said, opening the remaining food containers and setting them out around them. All her favourites were easily within her reach.

Sakura's chopsticks had paused on their way to her mouth, however, and with wary grace she set them down, leaning back in her chair to watch Sasuke.

"Hn?"

"You're different." Her voice was unsure.

Since when was she uncertain around him? It puzzled him.

Sitting down, he ignored the pang in his chest, chalking it up to eating with someone he wanted to spend time with, as opposed to Karin hawk-eyeing and badgering him at every turn. Or schmoozing with clients, giving insincere compliments and biding his time until the deal was made.

"What's different?" he asked.

"You."

From nowhere, sudden anger flared through him like a forest fire and he tamped down on it.

He stifled the urge to pant as a moment of dizziness passed through his body, clouding his vision and thoughts.

_What was that? Where had that… rage… sprouted from? _A tendril of anxiety slithered through Sasuke's insides and he brushed it away, refocusing on what Sakura had said. It was not the first time it had happened. When had it overcome him, before?…

Then he remembered. It had also been about Sakura.

He mentally shook himself. She said he was different. Did that mean she no longer trusted him?

Where to begin? What to say to that?

He needed time to think.

Drawing some of the food from one of the take-out containers onto his plate, he redirected the conversation. "How was your term? Everyone said it would be hard to adjust. Was it?"

She shook her head. "Not really. There's more work, and more challenging work, but it wasn't overly strenuous. From my preliminary marks, it looks like I did really well."

Relieved that she was once more following along with his plan for their evening together, Sasuke's shoulders relaxed and he straightened his back, the tension in his face softening. "I knew you would."

She gave him a small smile. "How about you? Did you find adjusting to office work challenging? Are you assisting anyone?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I have my own clients. I am responsible for all their business with Oto Corp."

"You mean, with your boss?"

This time, Sasuke frowned. The anger in him surged again, like a rising wave, though he monitored it more carefully, refusing to let it crest. "No. On my own. Along with my projects. I am responsible for anticipating, overseeing and troubleshooting potential compliance conflicts."

Sakura blinked.

"You've only been there for a few months, though. And you only just graduated high school. That's… it seems like a lot of responsibility." Her brows dipped together. "And legal liability, too. You don't need more experience for doing that kind of thing?"

"Did you think I was going there to be an errand boy?" His control slipped and he couldn't keep the temper out of his tone. His grip on his chopsticks constricted like a snake around its prey. "I'm making something of myself."

"I thought this was temporary, though. You said you'd only be gone for a year or so on this internship," said Sakura quietly, ignoring the food.

"It's more than an internship. I'm paid as a full-time employee, I have my own residence, I have clients who prefer to deal with me, I'm getting ahead in my department. I'm recognized for what I do," he said, his voice rising as his words became terse and heated. "I take care of myself now and I'm damn good at it. Better than anyone here would be doing," he added, scoffing.

Sakura's expression stilled before her lips pressed together and she looked down at her plate.

"With a little help from a friend," she said softly. She pushed her food around her plate, not bothering to pretend she was eating any longer.

"Hn?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Sakura shook her head. "Nothing. Never mind." Pushing away from the table, she stood and turned to the kettle on the counter. "I forgot the tea, sorry. Do you have a preference?"

His eyes flashed with ugly intent as he snapped, "Don't you turn away from me." Sasuke stood up so quickly his chair bounced off the back of his legs and tumbled to the floor behind him.

Startled, Sakura jumped, whirling around with her eyes wide and breathing shallow. Her arms flew up defensively and her pulse fluttered in her throat.

And Sasuke knew he'd just made a huge mistake.

"Maybe we should…" Sakura's voice was low, deceivingly calm, as she lowered her arms and wrapped her composure around herself like a cloak. "Maybe we should do this some other time."

His words dried up.

_No._

"It's been a long day. I'm tired. You're probably still adjusting to the time difference and jet lag. Sorry to put you out of your way," said Sakura, looking anywhere but at him. "Let me pack this up for you. You can have it tomorrow." She puttered to one of her cabinets, searching for the resealable containers she kept there.

His heart constricted, shriveling inside his chest with fiery grief. Everything he'd worked for.

Everything he'd come home for.

_She was… _The pain inside him intensified.

_No. What have I done?_

"Stop," he said, reaching for her—and she skittered to the side, blocking his hand with a well-practiced move he recognized from when his brother taught him in the family dojo when they were children.

"_When someone is reaching for you, and you think they are trying to hurt you," Itachi explained to a five year old Sasuke with his gentle smile. He mimicked the motion slowly for Sasuke to learn, then stood behind him to move his arms for him until he got the hang of it. "Do it like this. That's it. This way no one can get close enough to hurt you. Now you try."_

The same move Sakura had just used on him.

The flashback was rejected when he heard Sakura's voice. She was calmer now, but he could see the trembling in her fingers as she withdrew them, bringing them close to her, hiding them shamefully from view. Still avoiding his eyes. "I think you should—"

But Sasuke had already snatched up his coat and shoes and stormed out of Sakura's apartment.

As he slammed the SUV's door behind him, jamming the key in the ignition, putting it in gear on autopilot, Kimimaro's words resonated inside his head without reprieve, pandemonium sprouting inside him.

"_We've become monsters for Oto, haven't we?"_

The weather turned ugly that Christmas eve as Sasuke navigated the streets he'd driven dozens of times in his high school years. But this was no longer high school. They were adults. They were adults, and they were moving on, _and oh gods, had he really just scared Sakura so much she rejected him?—_

The car slid on an icy patch and he struggled to right it, feeling it overbalance before it returned all four wheels to the slippery road again. Even then he couldn't muster his focus.

He was burning up from the inside, his vision clouding red. _Anger. Shame. Humiliation. _He made it home, but couldn't remember a minute of the journey.

_Hurt._

_What had he done? _

* * *

"Itachi, darling, could you pass me that.. Is something wrong?"

Itachi stepped into his family's living room after his meeting with his father ended, to find his mother watching him, her smile fading as she looked him over.

He blinked and shook his head. "Everything is," _lie, it's Christmas eve,_ "fine. What would you like help with?"

"The garland over here isn't hanging properly, could you help me straighten it up?"

"Of course."

His thoughts were distracted temporarily, but not entirely, by his mother's happy singing and puttering, directing him here and there with little things to be done. It wasn't much later that he heard his brother return, parking the family SUV in the garage, the automatic garage doors closing behind him with a soft crunch on the snow.

Internally debating, Itachi waited to read Sasuke's demeanour before approaching him to mend the rift between them.

If the anxious seething he sensed coming off his younger brother indicated anything, it was that approaching him to talk about their issues may be a more challenging activity than he'd anticipated for the evening.

"You're home early! I thought you were going to see Sakura this evening?"

Itachi's heart squeezed, and unconsciously he rubbed at his chest as he listened to their mother greet Sasuke. Moving with his usual quiet grace, he followed their mother to the hallway. It was rare for Sasuke to be so emotionally fraught.

He heard his brother's disjointed, staccato words before he caught sight of him, running a hand through his longer hair, his hands gesturing in tight movements.

"It wasn't… Things are different. She said I'm different and I tried to ask her what she meant, but—…"

In that moment Sasuke's eyes lifted to his, and he felt the shift in the atmosphere. The darkness swarming, closing in, choking out the anxiety. Redirecting it into anger.

"We're going to meet again later, instead. Her family should be back soon, I'm sure they've missed her, too."

"Funny you should mention her family," said Mikoto. "I haven't heard back from her mother in weeks. I knew her promotion was keeping her busy, but she used to at least text me back saying she was busy and wasn't forgetting me." She huffed her shoulders. "They wouldn't miss Christmas with Sakura, though. I'm sure she knows when they're due. Were you helping her decorate tonight?"

Sasuke looked back at their mother, shaking his head, frowning. "No. She hadn't taken anything out."

"Maybe she's waiting for them," mused Mikoto. "You said she's expecting them tonight?"

Sasuke hesitated. Itachi felt the tightness in his chest twist, his insides instead slowly turning to water.

"She didn't mention them. She was alone."

"Alone in that apartment on Christmas eve?"

Sasuke hesitated again, before nodding.

"That isn't right," murmured Mikoto, bringing her hands together to her mouth. "Itachi, could you get me my phone, please? I left it on the counter."

Striding to the kitchen and back in record time, Itachi flipped it open and handed it over to his mother, joining her at her side.

"Was Sakura aware of any delays in her parents' arrival?" he asked Sasuke.

Sasuke shook his head. "She didn't mention them at all. It was as if they weren't even in contact. She didn't even have presents or anything out for them."

Itachi thought back to their drive together that day. She'd had a present for him. She had not mentioned her parents, though.

His hand reached into his pocket until he gripped his phone.

"Let me give her mother a call, just to be sure."

Itachi and Sasuke waited, watching their mother. Sasuke's aggression had calmed to a latent level of concern, however, which reassured Itachi.

"There's no answer," said Mikoto. "Let me try her husband, what's-his-name…." A moment later, she pulled the phone away from her ear, lips pressed together. "Maybe one more time…"

Itachi's hearing thinned as he saw his father enter the room, his face stone.

"I'll be back later this evening." He shrugged on his winter uniform coat, the long one, and tall, heavy-tread boots. He turned to look at them over his shoulder, reaching for the door to the garage. "Don't wait up, please."

Eyes narrowing, Itachi registered that everyone had gone silent.

"Fugaku, work tonight? It's the holiday, you said you were taking time off this year," said Mikoto.

"Sasuke," said Fugaku with surprise. "I thought you were with Sakura this evening." Fugaku's eyes jumped to Itachi, curious and sharp. Then he turned to his wife. "Join me in the garage a moment."

"Do you need a hand?" asked Sasuke, stepping forward before Itachi could offer.

"Naruto is due here any minute, isn't he?" asked Mikoto.

Sasuke looked at her blankly.

"You did invite him over, didn't you? He always joins us… Oh, for goodness sake, Sasuke!" snapped Mikoto, disappointment clear in her tone. "Go get him right now. He's your best friend!"

"Itachi," said Fugaku, catching his eldest's eyes. "I may need you later this evening. Call Shisui, meet at Sakura's."

"Do we engage?"

"With her, yes. With anyone else, only in self defence."

"What's going on?" asked Sasuke, staring at the rest of the family.

"You're going to get Naruto, your mother is joining me," Fugaku handed Mikoto's coat to her. "And your brother and cousin are joining Sakura. No one is to be on their own for any length of time this evening, is that clear?"

"What happened?" asked Sasuke.

Fugaku shook his head. "You'll hear soon enough."

* * *

When Sakura opened her door, she didn't expect to see the individual standing there.

"Shisui?"

"Pack your bag, we're kidnapping you!—_mph! _Itachi, that hurt!"

"We apologize for intruding. Are we interrupting?"

Sakura sniffled and wiped at her eyes. She had given up on looking nice that day for anyone, including herself. Terrible, tragic romantic movies? Yes, that was the level she was at. With ice cream. Lots of ice cream. And alone. Because she couldn't bring herself to bug Ino when it was so important to Ino's family to have some family time together, now that the term had ended.

"Just watching a movie," she said from her darkened doorway.

"We'd like to invite you to our family home for the holidays."

Sakura sighed. "No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I really wouldn't be comfortable."

"Then we'll be camping here with you!—_damnit, Itachi,_ I said that hurts!" Shisui mumbled from his hunched-over position, protecting the back of his head.

Sakura stared at Itachi, wide-eyed.

"Please forgive us," repeated Itachi, more meaningfully. "We couldn't help noticing earlier that your family hadn't arrived home yet for the holidays. Please join us. We'll return you as soon as they're back with you, safe and sound. Mother was quite distraught at the thought of you being alone this evening."

Irritation crept through Sakura's posture, and she firmed her grip on the door.

"Well, then you'll have to explain to her that I appreciate the invitation, but I don't want to intrude on another family event. Thank you," she said, pulling back.

"Sasuke went to collect Naruto, if that rebalances the scales in our favour!—_you raise your man-beast-fist at me one more time, and I'm going to mace you, you cretin!_"

"What the actual f—what is going on!" Sakura gaped at the pair of men on her doorstep.

They paused.

Looked at each other.

Then—

"Sakura?" sighed Itachi.

"Hn?" She asked, frustration leaking into her tone.

"Please forgive Shisui," said Itachi, resigned.

That was all the warning she got before Shisui picked her up, pyjamas and all, and hauled her over his shoulder into the snowstorm. She felt a warm, heavy blanket tossed over her back as she squealed and thumped on Shisui's shoulder. Not too hard, though, as she didn't truly mean to do him harm, just smack some sense into him.

"Ow! Sakura! What is with you and Itachi tonight! I swear, Sasuke's the only one out of you lot who doesn't hurt others to get their way!"

Sakura's fist halted mid-thump before she stiffened in Shisui's arms, then went limp.

_That's what you think,_ Inner retorted. _You didn't see him raising a hand to us and yelling at us less than an hour ago. He's not the Sasuke you think he is anymore!_

But Sakura didn't say anything.

A few minutes later, when she'd buckled herself into Shisui's Land Rover again, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back. Ten minutes later, Itachi joined them, a large bag under his arm.

"Home," he directed.

Sakura let herself drift.

* * *

"You're keeping secrets, husband."

"Hn."

Mikoto weighed her husband's stony face before opening the door handle to let herself out.

"I'll speak with her to get some tips, but I think this is a bit premature."

"Please," he said, voice low and a touch gruff. "Not for you. Others will need your strength." He pressed his lips together, before admitting. "Like I need your strength."

Mikoto's expression softened as she pouted. "I hate it when you fight dirty," she muttered under her breath, turning away and missing the gentle warmth that flashed in her husband's eyes.

After dropping off his wife at the station for her own safety, Fugaku drove his armoured SUV to the site dispatch had sent to his GPS. He knew she would gain as much as she could from the grief counsellor he'd called in, but would it be enough? Her shoulders were only so strong…

_Stop it,_ he told himself. She was the strongest woman he knew. She could do it. And he would lend her his strength, too.

Fugaku arrived at the cemetery gates, flashed his credentials and was flagged through immediately. The lights were already flashing around the perimeter… the ungodly wide perimeter.

"How many," he asked when he met the semi-retired officer he'd called in for assistance. He and Jiraiya continued walking towards the furthest site that was still being excavated, carefully, by the forensics teams. Teams. He felt sick realizing nearly every forensic officer he had was in the field tonight. In a single location.

Well, almost.

He'd sent a team out earlier that afternoon to the farmhouse, after Itachi's call, after all.

"It doesn't look good," said Jiraiya, his normally jovial presence heavy and solemn. He pointed to the side, another row one set of officers were cordoning off. "We're still counting over there. If it hadn't been for Kakashi dropping off flowers on Rin and Obito's graves, we wouldn't have known about this until a civilian came across it tomorrow, Christmas Day. We closed off the area as soon as we could. So far, no leaks." The firm lines around his mouth sagged. "We've counted more than forty so far. Each one has a love letter on it. It is unfortunately helping us identify them."

Fugaku nodded, and Jiraiya continued, adding, "They're… matching. The missing." The old, semi-retired officer's shoulders rounded when he inquired, "The girl?"

"Miss Haruno was immediately collected and moved to a secure location where she can be accounted for and monitored."

"Still no luck reaching her folks?"

Fugaku shook his head. Jiraiya's face sagged.

Jiraiya's epithet was vicious. "They were supposed to be in protective custody!" He hissed under his breath. They reached the end of the row where a pair of nearly identical mounds were placed, side by side. Instincts always at the ready, they scanned the area as they deliberated.

Fugaku pressed his lips thin before turning to Jiraiya and angling himself so no one else could read his lips.

"We have a mole."

Jiraiya blinked before his expression darkened.

"Your force is the most loyal Konoha has ever seen. I remember what the old days were like," whispered Jiraiya, lowering his booming voice. His cheeks were hollow as he shook his head at Fugaku. "Who could have done this?"

"We know who did this," reminded Fugaku.

"No." Jiraiya shook his head, clicking his tongue in the back of his mouth. "Someone else is pulling your crazy relative's strings. Maybe Madara hasn't realized it yet, but there's something familiar about this level of manipulation. Your family's being targeted and it is personal."

Fugaku turned to look at Jiraiya, crossing his arms. "You—" He held up a hand. "Did you hear that?"

"It's hard to hear anything over the racket of your forensics teams yelling at each other," said Jiraiya. He opened his mouth to say more before his brow furrowed. "Wait."

Fugaku nodded, eyes sharp as he strained his hearing.

There.

A scratching, muffled noise… coming from…

He shoved down his mounting horror before he dove to his knees, ripping at the dirt from the closest mound. "Dig!" He hollered at Jiraiya, pointing to the other mound with his head. "Dig!

"Oh sweet Gods," huffed Fugaku, uncaring that his coat was covered in dirt and muck, his knees sinking into the soft earth. He moved up to one end of the mound and flung handful after handful of dirt behind him.

"You don't think—," began Jiraiya, but Fugaku cut him off with a shout.

"Medic!" he hollered. "I need a medic and an emergency evac! Prep the ward, we have at least two suffocation victims!"

The scratching, muffled sounds got louder and louder until with a strangled puff Fugaku uncovered the first head and face. Less than half a breath later, Jiraiya had cleared the second.

"_We said we need a medic!_" Jiraiya roared to his nearest officers, his hair loose and tumbling into his fiercely determined eyes. With a vengeance he dug and dug, whistling long and high to summon some of the police hounds he'd trained and brought with him that night. They surrounded Fugaku and Jiraiya, setting themselves to digging out the rest of their bodies as fast as they could at Jiraiya's command.

Fugaku's fingers pressed into a change in texture, hair; his hands shaking, he cleared the dirt from around the first individual's face as quickly and carefully as he could.

"F-F-Fuga-," she coughed, struggling when she tried to lift her arms. They were still buried, and he raced to free them. Jiraiya did the same with his survivor, though the protests were much weaker. Fugaku's heart clenched.

"Shhhh, we're going to get you out of here. Focus on me, Mebuki," Fugaku murmured, brushing more dirt, and now snow, off the woman's horrified face.

One of the medical officers rushed to Fugaku's side, another to Jiraiya's, taking vitals and starting their preliminary assessments. A third officer collected the poems that had been attached to their 'headstones', and straightened, dropping each into an individual evidence bag.

"Officer Mitarashi?" Fugaku pinned her with his stare.

Anko, sober and solemn for once, held them up and presented the bags to her Chief. He looked at the first poem, his insides curdling. They were written in a somewhat familiar script.

_I love her, need to touch her, need to hold her close to me. _

_She's as necessary to me as breathing, as vital as the sea. _

_It hurts that you don't trust me, don't find me worth her hand_

_So I hope you enjoy that feeling, gasping underneath the land…_

His mental words trailed off, and he lowered the first paper, unwilling to read the rest quite yet.

_Alive._

_Madara had knowingly buried Sakura's parents alive._

* * *

There were probably dragons who had looked tamer than Sakura did when she stomped through the Uchiha garage upon arrival at the Uchiha's main family home. Fiercer than Itachi had seen her in some time, Sakura stormed through the hallways (still wearing her house slippers)... after wiping her feet on the welcome mat in the entrance.

Wisely, Shisui withheld the urge to whistle appreciatively as she crossed her arms and glared at them.

"Which way to my cell?"

"You may choose whichever guest room you please. Naruto often chooses the room beside Sasuke's." Itachi calmly hung his coat on his hook before he took a seat on the nearby bench. He leaned forward and removed one of his boots, then the other.

Of course, what went unsaid was that this left the rooms closer and closer to Itachi's room free and available.

A little shiver ran down Shisui's spine as Sakura narrowed her eyes at Itachi's blasé attitude.

"I was going to make some popcorn," began Shisui, but Sakura's rapid approach had him swallowing on reflex. She snatched her bag from him, turned on her heel and disappeared down the hallway, towards the guest rooms.

He waited until he was sure she was out of earshot before looking over his shoulder at Itachi, surprised his cousin was still hunched over on the bench.

"Sakura can be scary," he remarked, a little impressed.

"Hn."

Brow furrowing, Shisui half-turned to get a better look at Itachi; the glazed eyes, the unfocused gaze.

"You have it so bad," snickered Shisui. "Do you need some snow down your back to cool off?"

Itachi ignored him, though his shoulders sagged.

Shisui laughed.

* * *

"Sakuraaaaaaa!"

"Naruto?"

"Hehe!" Knocking on her door and letting himself in, the blond bounded over, leaping onto the bed and nearly sending Sakura flying off.

"You idiot!" She shrieked, batting at him. Naruto dodged and wrestled with her instead, letting Sakura flip them over as he grabbed her wrists.

"You could have broken something!"

"Nah, you're too tough," he said, winking at her. "Nice pyjamas by the way. Are those ducklings?"

"Argh!"

"Hahahaha—ow, ow, OW! Oy, asshole, get in here and help!"

"Screw you, Naruto! And they're not ducklings!"

From outside the door, Shisui stared at Sasuke in awe while Itachi remained immobile. Sasuke himself merely shook his head, dashing his hair out of his eyes before moving into the doorway where Naruto and Sakura would be able to see him. "We have popcorn and pizza, and Mom made lots of treats. Come on out to the kitchen when you're ready," he said, pulling out again and heading to the pantry.

"Treats? Like rice krispie squares with the M&amp;Ms on top?" called Naruto, excited.

"Those are little kid treats," huffed Sakura.

"So? They're good! Come on, Sakura!"

"What? No! What the—ARGH. What is it with everyone carrying me today!?"

"We only do it 'cuz you let us, ya know. Ooph! Hahahahahhaah! I'm faster! I'm going to eat them all!"

"You little—"

Shisui and Itachi jumped out of the way just in time for Naruto, Sakura hot on his heels, to burst from the room heading dead for the kitchen.

Smirking, Shisui leaned against the wall. "If only we all had so much energy."

"They are closer than siblings. It is a shared energy," said Itachi, quiet and thoughtful.

"Still. It's good they drew her out," said Shisui.

Itachi was silent.

Grinning, though sympathetic on the inside, Shisui threw an arm around Itachi's shoulders before slipping him into a headlock.

"You, dear cousin, are far too moody, even for you."

"You have two seconds to release me before I cripple your kidneys."

"Hahahahah! That's the spirit! Let's go see if we can boot up a movie or a game or something. Nothing violent. You up for some _Just Dance_? I bet Sakura would love to kick your butt at something—oops, almost got me, hahahaha!"

"Hn."

"You could also do with a bit of bro chat, if ya know what I mean, cuz," said Shisui.

"You're insufferable."

"Been taking lessons from Kisame. It's a good thing you have us, you know, or you'd never have gotten this close to—ooph." Shisui dropped against the wall, clutching his arms around his stomach as Sakura popped back around the corner, eyeing them strangely.

"Right," she said, brow arching. "If you want any pizza, you better hurry up. Naruto's opened the first three boxes, and he's already challenged Sasuke twice. I don't think Sasuke's going to hold out much longer before he decides Naruto needs a schooling in intestinal warfare." She leaned forward to look closer at Shisui. "You okay?"

"Peachy," moaned Shisui.

"... right," repeated Sakura, shrugging and walking away after a curious glance at Itachi.

Itachi swallowed as she turned the corner.

"I hate you so much sometimes," groaned Shisui. He flexed his legs and straightened before doubling over again. "You really need to talk to each other. Resolve some of this tension before it kills me." He exhaled and winced. "God, you need to get laid already," he muttered under his breath. "No one with a healthy sex life would be this reactive."

"_Just Dance_?" asked Itachi, a note of interest in his tone. He was ignoring Shisui's suffering.

"Fuck you."

"Hn."

* * *

"How long are you down for?"

Sasuke opened the next pizza box, ignoring the protests of his stomach. "A week or so."

"You didn't book your ticket back?" asked Sakura.

Sasuke looked up at her, blinking slowly. "Mom was insistent I stay as long as I could. I haven't taken any time off up until now. They were okay with me taking a few extra days as I saw fit, as long as I was back by the first week in January. Meetings," he said. He held Sakura's gaze a moment before turning back to the pizza.

Sakura nodded, leaning back again and nibbling on her garlic bread.

"Your parents aren't around?" she asked, brows knitting together.

"They were called away. Work," said Naruto. "Sasuke came to get me _after he forgot me._"

Sakura gaped at Sasuke. "Again!?"

"Keep complaining and I'll take you back, too," said Sasuke to Naruto, unperturbed.

"You bastard! I'm your best friend! We're brothers!"

Sasuke heaved a sigh and gave Naruto a look.

"Don't leave me hanging, bastard!"

"Oh for heaven's sakes, yes, you're like brothers," sighed Sakura, reaching over and smacking Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke gave her a sloe-eyed look as she leaned back in her seat again, which Sakura shrugged off.

"He has to say it, too!"

"Sasuke," said Sakura, her voice leading.

"Come on, man!"

"Sasuke," repeated Sakura, exasperated.

"Dude, you forgot my birthday!"

Sakura arched a brow at Sasuke, before her eyes narrowed.

"You what?" she asked softly.

"Er, well, I mean, he was busy… it was an honest mistake. Right, bastard?"

"You forgot Naruto's birthday? I thought you called him back after I called?"

"What?" said Naruto.

"What?" said Sasuke.

"In November, when I called you and your girlfriend answered." She was proud her voice didn't waver. Good. Confidence and calm. That's what she needed to draw upon in that moment.

"You called?" asked Sasuke.

Shifting in her seat, Sakura set down her pizza. "Yes. Your new keeper didn't tell you?"

"I don't have a keeper, and I never will," said Sasuke, his voice low and even. "You should know I would never…" He broke off, looking away for a moment. "When did you call?"

Sakura shrugged a shoulder. "In November. Naruto was worried. I was worried. We hadn't heard from you, you weren't answering… Anyway, you forgot Naruto's birthday. That's pretty assholish."

"I know," said Sasuke.

Sakura's mouth fell open.

"Wait here," he muttered, ignoring their stunned expressions. He left and returned a moment later, bearing several gifts, elegantly wrapped in thick silver wrapping paper, real fabric ribbons adorning them in only mildly squashed condition. "Here." He passed several to each of them, fidgeting with something in his pocket.

"You got him two gifts." Sakura's voice was soft.

"One is for his birthday, the other for his Christmas." Sasuke picked up a piece of pizza, but didn't lift it to his mouth. He held it like a prop, something he needed to keep his hands occupied. He avoided their gazes.

"Which is which?" asked Naruto excitedly. "Should I save one for tomorrow? No, I'm opening them both now and you can't stop me!"

"Naruto, you…" Shaking her head, Sakura smiled and leaned forward, grabbing a napkin. "At least wipe your hands first," she chided, her voice softening.

"He's too excited," said Sasuke, his stiff back loosening as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table, propping his chin up on his folded hands and the pizza forgotten. "Go ahead."

Naruto tore into the first package.

"My parents! You found pictures of my parents! I've never seen these ones before!" gasped Naruto, tears filling his eyes. "Where… where did you find these?"

Lips pressed together, Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. Under the table, his leg shook a bit. Out of habit Sakura reached out with her foot and slid it beside his. Immediately he stopped. "I put out a few feelers at work. I found a few people who had connections in Media Relations. They were happy to do some digging and earn some brownie points. No biggie."

"There's a whole album here," choked Naruto, his nose reddening.

In spite of her best efforts, Sakura found herself swallowing over and over and her cheeks warming.

"Thought you could use a reminder," said Sasuke, gruff.

"Stop the asshole routine, Sasuke. You are my brother," gasped Naruto, pushing his chair back and yanking Sasuke up into a bear hug. "Love you, soul friend."

"Don't cry on my suit," threatened Sasuke, but he lifted his arms around Naruto, his voice softening. "I mean it."

"Sakura, why aren't you in this yet?!" howled Naruto, overcome.

Wiping at her eyes with a napkin, Sakura hopped up and joined them in their hug, her arms lifting up to twine in their hair.

It was barely a heartbeat later that she felt Sasuke's fingers stroke her neck and hold her tight in response, while Naruto sniffled audibly and repeated how much he loved them.

"Love you, too," whispered Sakura, only loud enough for them to hear.

Sasuke's arms squeezed them tighter.

* * *

"You are going in there."

"No."

"You're going in there, and joining in."

"No."

"You're going in there, and joining in, and challenging Sakura to _Just Dance_."

"No."

"And then, you're going to invite her to another room where you will talk to her. Really talk to her. Explain why she didn't need to worry as much about you earlier today when we were inspecting the properties and you ran off to play mercenary hero."

"No."

"And then, you will explain—not in detail, but you need to talk to her about this, Itachi, if she's going to be part of your life—that you have PTSD and why you're so overprotective of her."

"No."

"And, if she hasn't run away screaming yet, you need to admit to her that you are getting help for this shit, because I swear to God, your secrets are what's killing you from the inside out and triggering your nightmares."

"No."

Shisui threw his head back and clawed at his curly hair. "Why are you being so stubborn?"

Itachi swallowed, watching his brother's shoulders relax, his head lean forward against Naruto's and Sakura's, his entire body surge closer to theirs, as they held each other in the kitchen.

"He's healing," said Itachi, turning away.

"Oh, you feel guilty now? Is that it?"

Itachi shook his head once. "I never stopped feeling it. I knew it was… complicated." He said softly. Behind him Shisui's face flashed with surprise at Itachi's admission. "But as wrong as it was to compete with him, I never hurt him deliberately. Caring for her is not wrong; I continue to care for her. But I recognize he needs his bonds right now, his friendships. He has changed, Shisui. He needs to remember who he was if he's going to survive Oto."

"Something's going on out there. That's why your old colleague has been out there so long, isn't it?"

Itachi nodded, thinking of Kakashi.

"But you will talk to her soon?"

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sasuke's fingers stroking Sakura's neck. A spark of possession flared inside him in response.

"Yes," he said firmly.

* * *

"Left, left, left!" Sakura laughed as she tried to get Naruto to catch up to her. Unfortunately he wasn't quite in step and missed the last move, losing the beat.

"No! We almost had a perfect score!"

"In your defense, it has been a while since we played. What is it now, like, four months? Five?"

"Closer to five," agreed Naruto. "Okay, I need a drink. Can I get you two anything?"

"Water," said Sasuke and Sakura. There was an awkward pause before they chuckled.

"Three waters, coming up," grinned Naruto. "Your turn, bastard."

Sasuke ignored Naruto, leaning back on the couch as Sakura stretched where she stood and bounced on her toes. She had changed into a pair of his old shorts, rolling the waist over several times to make them less baggy, and one of Naruto's t-shirts, so big she swam in it. With one hand holding her hair up off the back of her neck, she fanned herself with the other before shaking her hair out and glancing down at Naruto's bright orange tee.

"It's nearly a dress," she mused aloud, pulling it out from her body. The fireplace already made the room warm, her skin rosy. Their competitive dancing turned it into a sauna.

"Tie it up. That's what you used to do in summer," said Sasuke, taking a sip of his beer.

Nodding to herself, Sakura pulled the t-shirt slack to the back and knotted it up behind her shoulder blades, baring her midriff.

Sasuke immediately regretted his suggestion, and struggled to contain his reaction. He wasn't the only one who had filled out, apparently, he thought, as his mouth turned to cotton wool. Sakura's six-pack and svelte, muscled figure, along with her fuller chest, had him choking on his beer, which he immediately tried to cover with a cough. With his face buried in his elbow, he kept her in view from the corner of his eye.

"You okay?" she asked, brow raised.

Sasuke covered his cough by turning his burning face further into his elbow and nodded. "Went down the wrong way," he coughed, clearing his throat. Twice. _Whoa._ His suit jacket was slung over the back of the couch, and he'd undone the top two buttons of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves, baring his forearms. Forearms which were now tense as he cursed himself when she shifted and stretched side to side, her muscles flexing and relaxing visibly.

"You're all in here?" Shisui's voice interrupted, and Sasuke tensed further in his seat. Sure enough, when he looked past Shisui, there was Itachi. His brother had changed into a looser shirt and cotton trousers, he noted. For Itachi it bordered on obscenely casual. He still wore his contact lenses, though. Few outside the family knew how vain Itachi could be.

"Naruto's getting drinks. Chips?" Sakura bent over the coffee table, picking up the nearest bowl to offer it to Shisui. It took everything in Sasuke not to lunge forward to cover Sakura with the blanket from the couch. He didn't miss the way his cousin shook his head before his smile turned a touch goofy for a second, or the way his brother's eyes became unfocused as he swallowed. Twice.

Not that Sasuke needed to worry, though. Itachi hadn't joined them to relax in several years. He and Shisui would probably head back to the main sitting room and wait for their parents to arrive and do whatever it was they did... Relaxing back into the couch again, Sasuke nodded to himself internally and congratulated himself on not overreacting. Not that there was anything to react to. Things may have been off to a slower start with Sakura than he'd anticipated, but he could still make it up. He had a few days. Itachi probably wouldn't be around much, anyway. He was always working. He was a workaholic, Sasuke's internal voice soothed him. Any minute now, Itachi would decline politely, Shisui would crack a juvenile joke, and they'd turn around and—

"Please," said Itachi, accepting the bowl from Sakura and taking a seat on another couch, near where she stood. Far too close, in Sasuke's opinion. "Shisui said you were playing a game. I apologize for interrupting."

Sakura smirked. "Technically, it was Sasuke's turn to play, but he was being a party pooper."

Suddenly Sasuke got a terrible feeling.

Itachi cocked his head to the side, reaching for the case.

"_Just Dance_," he read aloud.

Sasuke thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he saw Shisui casually kick his brother in the foot.

"How do you play?" asked Itachi.

Sasuke stared at Itachi in a strange mixture of horror, surprise and challenge.

* * *

Itachi watched Sakura's lower lip as it dropped open. It moved. Her mouth formed words.

It took him a second to refocus on the meaning, before he realized she'd asked him a question.

"Sorry, it was a bit loud," said Itachi. He shook himself mentally, adjusting the bowl of chips with a small shake to emphasize his point.

Sakura arched her brow. "You've never played _Just Dance_?" She turned to Shisui. "How did you let this travesty happen?"

Shisui shrugged. "The him-not-knowing-how-to-play, or the deliberately-walking-him-into-a-potentially-awkward-social-situation like the loving big bro cousin I am?"

Shisui made to grab a handful of chips from Itachi's bowl; Itachi tripped him and let him fall.

Sakura watched Shisui sprawled out on the living room rug. She did not assist. "Somehow, that doesn't make you even, yet, does it?"

"Not by a long shot," said Shisui, mouth full of carpet.

She turned to Itachi. "Would you like to try? Is it okay for your leg?"

"Wait!" Shisui arched his back and threw his hand in the air. "Hold on, good point. Medical opinion time: Itachi, she has a point. You probably shouldn't." He got up on his hands and knees and pointed at Itachi. "Keep your keester parked."

"I was cleared to participate in martial arts practice without an assistive device weeks ago," said Itachi.

"Were you cleared for spontaneous aerobic exercise, sudden jarring motions, jumping and leaping?" asked Sakura, obviously siding with Shisui. Medically siding with Shisui, no less.

The way Shisui was positioned, just behind Sakura with his back to Sasuke, meant only Itachi could see his face. His shit-eating grin.

Itachi gave Shisui a baleful look.

"Don't wreck yourself worse or you'll upset Mom," said Sasuke from the sidelines.

It was on the tip of Itachi's tongue to repeat that back to his younger brother, but he felt a tug on the cuff of his trousers.

"Chips?"

"Hey, you guys decided to join in!" Naruto took a long, careful stretch-step over Shisui, balancing a large jug of ice water and a small stack of plastic cups in his hands. "What song are we on now? Did Sauce-pants get up?"

"No," said Sakura, shaking her head. "Itachi was about to tempt the fates—"

Itachi's brow furrowed at this. Did she think him such an invalid, or so incapable?

"—but Shisui overrode him," she finished.

"Where's Shisui?" Naruto asked.

"You just stepped over him. He's on the floor."

Naruto nodded as if this all made perfect sense to him. "I see." He looked around the room. "Oh hey, Shisui." He glanced at Sasuke. "Still no sign of your folks, huh?"

"Dad said he'd be out late," said Sasuke, leaning forward to gather up some popcorn, only to find the bowl empty. "Who finished the popcorn?"

"We can make more," said Naruto. "I saw at least three sticks of butter in your fridge. I don't think your mom will mind if we sneak a bit, as long as we don't cancel her plans to clog our coronary arteries."

Sasuke stared at Naruto.

"What!"

"Where did you learn that. All that."

"I'm not an idiot, bastard. I just need to focus. Sakura's not the only one who did well this term, ya know!"

Blinking, Sasuke remained where he was.

"Naruto, were there any M&amp;Ms with the popcorn kernels? Auntie usually keeps all the snacks in the same cupboard," said Shisui, climbing to his feet and dusting off his knees.

This snapped Sasuke out of his daze. "You can't let him in there unattended."

"He's an adult, Sasuke," laughed Shisui. "C'mon, Naruto. Let's go raid the pantry."

"All right!"

At this, Sasuke rose to his feet, shaking his head. "No, Shisui, this isn't —would you—ugh," he muttered, hustling after them. "Mum got special ramen, just for him staying over. If he gets into it now there'll be none left. Are you listening to me?"

The trio disappeared around the corner, leaving Sakura and Itachi alone.

Had he been a more demonstrative man, Itachi would have kissed his cousin for his casual deviance.

Staring after them, Sakura tilted her head to the side.

"Shisui lives to stir up trouble," she remarked.

"Hn."

Setting aside the bowl of potato chips on the coffee table, Itachi leaned forward.

"Sakura?"

"Yes?" She turned to face him, her green eyes bright and lively. Happy.

Instead of calming him, her vitality spurred him on.

"I… Today, during our visits…" His fingers tapped a light, slow beat on his thigh, before he closed them into fists, setting them down. "Shisui said, this afternoon, that you started to follow me. Into the house," he added. "After I told you to stay put."

"Of course I did," said Sakura, turning towards him. She remained standing. "You shouldn't have gone in there alone. We would have been unable to support you if anything had gone wrong." She tucked her small, powerful hands into fists at her side. "I'm not going to sit back and watch you endanger yourself alone, Itachi. Ever."

He chose his words carefully. "And I admire that faithfulness."

"But?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Please, sit," he said. "I do not mean to anger you."

She frowned at him, and glanced at the hallway in the direction of the kitchen and pantry. "Is this a conversation for four ears, or ten?"

"Four. Preferably yours and mine."

She tapped her foot, before conceding. "Should we take this somewhere less public?"

"That would be best."

With cat-like grace he stood, facing her, before leading them to his room, at the end of the long bedroom-wing hallway. He closed the door behind them.

"I don't even remember the last time I was in here," said Sakura. "Where should I sit?"

"Wherever you like," said Itachi, waiting to see where she chose.

To his surprise, she chose his bed, and pulled his blankets up around her. "It's chilly in here," she said. "The fireplace in the tv room and the dancing kept me warm, but it's cold in here."

"You are also wearing a crop top and shorts on Christmas Eve."

"And killing Naruto in _Just Dance_, thank you."

Itachi chuckled, and Sakura smirked.

"So, what did you want to talk about that you didn't want Sasuke to hear?"

Itachi's eyes widened, then softened.

"You didn't think I noticed that divide and conquer approach of Shisui's?" she asked. She shook her head. "Obviously you have not seen Ino in action."

"Perhaps she could give Shisui some pointers on subtlety," he said. He looked at the wide expanse of his queen size bed, then at Sakura. "May I?"

"It's your bed," she said, shuffling to the side on his mattress.

"No need to move," he replied, taking a seat near, but not touching her.

Sakura tilted her head as she watched him. When he didn't respond right away, she glanced around his room. On his desk lay her small gift-wrapped parcel, abandoned. The light in her eyes dimmed.

"If you don't want it, it's okay. Just don't throw it out. I'd rather have it back," she said, looking down at her lap and fidgeting with the blankets.

Confused, Itachi looked from Sakura to the desk before he clued in.

"The gift?"

She nodded, not looking up.

"Why would I not want it?" he asked, still confused.

Eyes sharpening, shoulders going rigid, Sakura looked away.

"Sakura. Look at me. What did I do wrong?"

"You're mocking me."

Hurt. Shame. Embarrassment. Those were the emotions he heard in her voice, and they ate at him, gnawing at his insides.

"Never," he promised.

"Then why haven't you even opened it yet!"

And now she had tears in her eyes, and she was angry and hunching lower in his blankets.

His arms longed to reach out for her, but would she take it the wrong way? Would it upset her further?

Could he… bring himself… to reach out to her? To another person? He had clasped his arms around her at Kisame's, and during the gala. But to embrace her? Outside the heat of the moment from their dance, where he could admit that he'd been spurred on by jealousy.

He couldn't remember the last time someone had done the same for him; someone he wanted to embrace him.

His body made the decision for him, and he looked down to find his arms gently, carefully, wrapping around Sakura, pulling her against him, blankets and all.

"You are upset because I did not unwrap my gift yet?"

"Yes," she said, hiding her face in his chest. "I went to a lot of trouble…" She heaved a sigh. "It doesn't matter," she muttered.

"I did not intend to upset you," he said, voice soft and slow. Hoping to soothe her, he rubbed her back. "I did not realize that you were waiting for me to open it."

She nodded into his chest.

"You didn't have to get me anything, and I am touched that you thought of me."

She stiffened in his lap and began pushing away from him, murmuring something that sounded like, "no, no, no—"; until he loosened his grip and let her go.

"Sakura—"

"I can't believe this, I'm so stupid, I knew it, I knew it, and you're just an… argh. How could you…"

"Sakura, what are you talking about?"

"You!" she half-choked. "I knew it, they told me, and I just ignored it and fell for you, and now I feel so stupid, and—"

"Who told you what? Sakura," said Itachi, his voice falling into a more commanding tone as he struggled with his frustration at her rejection. "Explain. Who. Told you. What?"

"Shisui and Kisame. They said you'd liked someone for a long time, and I just ignored that, and got you a stupid present, and I thought it would be special but you're ignoring it because it isn't from the person you like, and now I feel like an idiot child and that you're only humouring me so you don't hurt my feelings, and… I'm trying not to be mad at you. Because you're you, and you're perfect, and it isn't like you really led me on, and you're wonderful, and I just… I'm so embarrassed. And mad at myself. And I know I can't compete with the women you've dated before, but I just… I wanted a chance." She swallowed and took a shaky breath, her shoulders falling. "I misjudged things. I'm sorry."

Confusion fogged Itachi's brain as he tried to catch up with everything Sakura had spilled in her emotional rant. He focused on the moments where his heart had sung in his chest, though, and the fog began to clear.

Which, then, left him struggling not to pounce on her.

"Wait," said Itachi, pulling her close again when she pulled back. "Sakura, listen to me. I listened to you, now I would like you to listen to me," he said gently.

"And now you're patronizing me," she snapped.

"No, now I'm asking for the same respect I gave you."

Sakura huffed, yet remained.

Stroking her arms, Itachi mused. "Where to begin," he sighed aloud, feeling tired.

"You should have returned the gift to me if you didn't want it."

"I want it. I want it very much," said Itachi. "The reason I have not opened it yet is because I was saving it to open it with you, when I gave you your present. And… The fact that you gave it to me from the backseat of Shisui's Land Rover, while Shisui was there with us, made it… troublesome."

"Troublesome?" She glanced up at him before ducking her head again.

"Hn. I wanted to join you in the backseat to express my gratitude, and cursed both the invention of seatbelts and Shisui's presence," he admitted. "It is so close to New Years I nearly broke my promise."

Sakura shifted in his arms, resettling closer to him. "But you like someone else."

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Itachi prayed he was not about to make a terrible mistake.

"Sakura, it is true I've liked someone for a very long time. That person is the first woman, first girl, I ever allowed into my room."

He looked down, nosing aside some of the loose hair that had fallen into her face.

"And I have a small secret to share," he said, lowering his quiet voice and cupping her cheek, raising her eyes to his. "She is also the first to share my bed."

Sakura swallowed, cheeks burning.

"She also looks very fetching when she blushes," he said, leaning closer, stroking her hair. "In fact, she looks very nice when she studies, when she trains hard, when she fights," his expression softened, his adoration shining through. "I find I can't look away when I watch her spar, or practice.

"To be honest," he said, clearing the nerves that danced in his throat. "It's when she's determined, when she's fierce, that I most want to make her mine."

He felt as much as heard her breath hitch… and when she shivered, he stirred.

"You see, I've never been with her, this woman I've wanted for so long. I waited for her, though, to give her time to make her own decisions."

"Itachi," she murmured, lifting a hand, gripping the front of his shirt.

"Sakura," his voice hoarser than he remembered it being before. "This person I've been waiting for—"

A quick knock on his door interrupted Itachi, and to his horror his mother rushed in, followed by his father.

"Itachi-darling, are you here? We need to speak to you about—" And then Mikoto made a giddy, choking, gasping, excited noise. "Itachi! Itachi! Itachi, there's a girl in your bed! Fugaku, look, there's a girl in—it's _oh good gracious_, Sakura dear, is that you? I thought you were sleeping with Sasuke."

"We'll go make some tea," said Fugaku, grabbing hold of his wife by the elbow as Mikoto reeled, listing to the side like a ship that slipped its mooring. "Sakura, there's no need to smother yourself in the blankets. Kindly join us. And Itachi?"

"Yes." _Hn. Oops. _Perhaps he shouldn't use that tone with his father. Yet, when Itachi looked up, he found his father's eyes shining, perhaps with amusement, perhaps with pride.

"For a first time offense, no punishment," said Fugaku, turning around. Puzzled, Itachi watched his father closely and realized he was trying not to smirk.

"He means remember to either leave your door open if it is a friend, and lock it for privacy," murmured Mikoto, still somewhat stunned.

"This way, dear," said Fugaku, fitting Mikoto's arm through his elbow and tugging her away.

There was a moment of tense, horrifically awkward silence as Itachi and Sakura stowed away on Itachi's bed, pretending nothing had just happened.

—Before Sakura sank even further into the blanket cocoon she'd made, sealing out all the light and oxygen in the hopes of spontaneously combusting without anyone noticing.

"You're not going to come out, are you?" asked Itachi.

The blanket-pile gave a quasi-nod.

A small smirk on his face, he leaned forward and nudged her. With a lower timber, he asked, "Any chance I could come in with you?"

The blanket pile stilled, and slowly a window peeked open, and Sakura, blushing madly, just stared at him. She swallowed and looked at the bed… then up at him with a clear question in her eyes.

And then Itachi's words hit him and he felt his cheeks warming.

"That wasn't exactly what I had in m—meant. What I meant," he sighed, adjusting at the last moment.

"You don't want to come inside with me?" asked Sakura, lifting the blankets so she could poke her head through. Her hair was tousled and her cheeks pink, and her lips swollen where she must have been nibbling on them, and when the blankets dropped, baring her shoulders where the t-shirt had slipped to the side—

Itachi nearly tripped to his feet in haste. "I will go see what my family were up to. Please join us when you're ready."

* * *

Fugaku and Mikoto sat together, leaning into one another, on one of the claw-footed settees in the living room. A ceramic pot of chamomile tea steamed before them on the antique coffee table. Across from them and to the right sat Itachi in a matching settee, and as Sakura joined the group, he shifted to the side so she could join him. Behind Sakura, Naruto, Shisui and Sasuke had put on a violent video game of some sort down in the rec room where they'd been gathered before. The noise was distant, however.

Fighting down her blush, Sakura nodded to Itachi and sat beside him on the couch. When his warm hand rose to rest on her back, soothing her, she relaxed and regained some of her faltering confidence. The reasons why Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha would want to interrogate her could not be good, and she wasn't sure what she'd do or say if they asked her what her intentions were with Itachi.

_Please, please, don't let them ask,_ she prayed.

_Please, please let me answer if they do_, Inner begged.

"Sorry to surprise you in your home, tonight of all nights," said Sakura. "Thank you for having me."

"We're always happy to have you with us," said a tired Fugaku with genuine warmth.

Surprised, Sakura's eyes widened. It was then she noticed the deep lines stressed into his weary face, the red eyes, the sagging shoulders that weighed on the Uchiha patriarch.

"Sakura," began Mikoto gently, but Sakura felt the shaking, from her fingers to her toes.

"No," she whispered.

Mikoto bit her lip and leaned forward; Sakura leaned back, pressing her back into the small couch and trapping Itachi's well-meaning hand there. "No."

"We have very good news," reassured Fugaku. "And everyone you know and love is safe."

"You promise?"

"Yes," said Fugaku, lowering his voice to that of a fatherly hum, as opposed to the authoritarian police commander.

"But," Sakura hedged, voice thick with reluctance.

"Your parents are in the hospital, their condition is stable and they will be able to see you tomorrow for visiting hours. They are very excited to see you again and catch up on all you've been doing at university," said Fugaku. "Tsunade herself came in to look after them this evening, and she'll be their primary caregiver and physician. She also said that she would be in touch with you to ensure you could use the staff entrance again."

Sakura nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"Sakura, over the next few days, I think you should stay with us." Mikoto's smile was tired, exhausted really, but she leaned forward to reach across Itachi's lap, for her hand. "I know you'd rather have Christmas with your family, and they'll join us, too, very shortly. I'd like you to consider yourself a part of our family. I know it would mean a lot to us."

Fugaku surprised Sakura again by chuckling under his breath. "She isn't _The Bachelorette_, Mimi," he said.

"Not like that!" said Mikoto, turning sideways to whap her husband on the knee.

_But we're very happy to try out your sons first, you know, like a road test, to see whom we'd like to get the most mileage out of_, agreed Inner.

_If there was ever a time for your sass, this is the opposite of it,_ thought Sakura.

After a bit more discussion, and a great deal more reassurance, Sakura got to her numb feet. Numb was a good way of describing her in that moment. Nothing felt real. Nothing felt… connected.

Itachi walked her back to her room.

It wasn't long before Sakura drifted off to troubled dreams.

* * *

Christmas morning was cold.

"...Sakura..."

"...Sakura..."

"...Sakura..."

Detached, she looked at each speaker as if through a fishbowl, her movements sluggish. _Breathe in. Breathe out._

"...Sakura, they're going to be okay." _Breathe in. Breathe out._

"...Sakura, you need to eat." _Breathe in. Breathe out._

"Sakura, wake up. Look at me, damnit," said Naruto, frowning as he got in Sakura's face. When she stared blankly at him, his brow pinched tighter. He grabbed her arms. "Look at me, Sakura-chan."

"Idiot, give her space," growled Sasuke, knee jumping, fingers digging into his thighs.

"No!" Naruto turned back to Sakura. "Snap out of it!"

"Naruto," said Itachi, approaching with a gift in each hand. "This is from our family to you." He paused as he looked at Sakura. "Sakura, this one is for you from our parents."

He set it on the table in front of her, yet Sakura stared at the wall. She was still in shock from Mikoto informing her the night before her family had been in an accident and were in hospital. Her mind protected her the only way it knew how, at the moment, by numbing her to her surroundings. _Breathe in. Breathe out._

Itachi's phone rang, and he turned to the side, answering it after the third ring. His eyes widened as he looked at Sakura, before his expression tightened.

"She is not feeling herself at the moment," he said to the caller. It was another moment before he coughed under his breath. "Did they? Were they trying to catch 'Santa' in the act?... Not at all… You'll recover… I will ask," he sighed. "Sakura? Kisame's children would like to wish you a Merry Christmas. They want to bring you a present. Are you up for a visit?"

There was no response from her, and Itachi looked to his mother.

"Sakura," repeated Mikoto, eyes tilting down at the edges. She came to stand in front of Sakura, and touched her hand. "Honey, look up. We're going as soon as visiting hours open up. Everything's going to be just fine, and hopefully we can bring your folks home today, too. We already got their room ready," she said with a gentle smile. "Right beside yours."

Sakura let out a sigh and pulled back.

With that, Mikoto took and lifted Sakura's chin, forcing her to meet her eyes and steel entered her voice. "Look at me, Sakura Haruno," she ordered, the former commander said, tightening her grip on Sakura's chin. "You're a part of this clan. You're a strong woman. You're going to lead something great, someday. And if you're going to do that, you need to get yourself together and show your parents that they don't need to worry about you. Do you hear me?"

"I'm not feeling very strong right now," Sakura whispered, speaking for the first time.

"You probably weren't feeling very strong when you chased down a kidnapper at the hospital. And not only did you save that little boy, but you also caught an entire team of kidnappers," said Sasuke, coming to kneel beside his mother and taking one of Sakura's hands. "Does that sound like someone weak?"

Shaking her head in Mikoto's grip, Sakura looked away. "This is different."

"Because it's personal?" asked Sasuke. "Because it makes you feel vulnerable?"

Sakura glared at him, and Mikoto felt the girl's jaw clench.

"What? Don't like it when something hits close to home?" Said Sasuke, eyes sharpening. With Sakura sitting and Sasuke kneeling, they were almost the same height.

"Sasuke," warned Mikoto, turning to her son she let Sakura go, letting her hand fall to Sakura's lap. Still holding the phone Itachi frowned at his brother, but Sasuke scoffed at Sakura.

"This? This is what you fall apart over? Your parents are fine," Sasuke said. "Quit the drama and pity party and get dressed," he snapped. He stood and loomed over Sakura.

"Sasuke!" Itachi glared at his brother, his eyes taking in Sakura's tightening fists.

"You don't feel strong? Does that make you weak?" murmured Sasuke, his voice low, sinful, almost loving if it hadn't been for the mocking words. "Has the great Sakura Haruno become weak?"

"Don't ever call me weak," breathed Sakura, fine tremors shaking her body.

"Would someone strong be running away from her problems and hiding?" taunted Sasuke.

Sakura's jaw set and Itachi knew Sasuke had pushed too far.

Sakura's trembling stopped. "I wouldn't know. Only cowards do that. In Oto."

Naruto's pained hiss was heard through the suddenly quiet room.

"Excuse me, I need to get dressed," said Sakura to Mikoto. Making room for her, Mikoto stepped back and Sakura pushed past, brushing against Sasuke's shoulder.

Itachi lifted the phone receiver. "We'll stop by later today," he said to Kisame.

Meanwhile, Naruto stared at Sasuke with hurt, all-knowing, all-seeing blue eyes.

* * *

When they returned from their outing, Sakura's parents were installed comfortably to rest in a large guest room beside Sakura's at the Uchiha residence. She had her gift from Kisame's children as they had stopped in on their way home, and she and Sasuke were keeping their distance from each other. A nurse would be coming by within the hour to help look after her parents, and Sakura didn't ask how the Uchihas had arranged all this for her family on Christmas Day, and she didn't have it in her to fight Fugaku or Mikoto on anything else.

She felt ungrateful and frustrated, unable to fix things or ever pay the Uchiha family back for their kindness and generosity, impotent about the threat of their crazy family, and embarrassed about her earlier behaviour towards Sasuke. Ashamed. The shame and conflict burned her all over, and yet she didn't feel like she was that off-base with her snap at Sasuke, her ex, after he'd goaded her into doing what she should have been able to do anyway on her own. But she shouldn't have said it then, when they were all trying to share their Christmas, their family time, with her and Naruto so they would feel included and loved.

But it left her now with her parents resting, and her near-fight with Sasuke still burning her up inside too much to apologize, with a wild restless urge to do something.

She felt lost.

"Sakura?"

She turned angry eyes on Itachi when he called her name. He looked her over. "Come."

"Not interested right now, Itachi," she said, voice tight. The shame flared again, and she looked away. _Don't let yourself take it out on him, too, _she told herself.

"We're going for a walk. I'd like to show you the forests."

"No, thank you."

"Approximately a kilometer away, there is a clear patch. Put on layers, I am happy to spar."

She swallowed, wet her lips. A spar. A spar would feel very good, at that moment.

He waited.

She nodded, looking at the floor. "... I'll go change."

* * *

The storm from the day before had mostly settled, letting in some of the fading sunlight through the network of criss-crossing branches over their heads. A northern wind buffeted them as they tromped through the snow, heavy and deep.

Glancing over his shoulder, Itachi fought back a smile as Sakura stepped into his footprints to avoid losing her balance. He shortened his stride.

"There are so many crows in the trees," she remarked, looking around them.

Itachi nodded, and pulled a bag from his pocket. "They've lived in the forest since I was young. They're quite intelligent," he said. He turned and passed her the bag of seed. "Toss a bit out towards the trees."

She did, and not even a half-beat later the birds had flocked to it.

She looked at him as they continue don. "They were expecting it."

"Hn."

She relaxed enough to grin at him. "You feed them."

"Hn."

"Your dad never allowed you pets, and you got around it."

He kept moving, while Sakura chuckled. "Clever boy," she murmured, and he felt his tension ease at her praise. She would be fine.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

She sighed. "Embarrassed and ashamed by my behaviour, but yes. Thank you."

He nodded.

"Is there really a clearing out here?'

"Yes," he said. "But it is full of snow at the moment."

Sakura stopped in her—his—tracks.

"Then how will we spar?"

Itachi kept going, trudging through the deep snow. "There's a cabin on the property. I thought we would talk."

"Talk?" She took a step. "We could have talked at your family's house."

"Would you have?"

Sakura blinked at his question, before tucking her shoulders in and following after him to catch up, seeing his point.

"Not long," he said, a few minutes later. Sure enough, through the blowing snow she caught sight of the structure. 'Cabin' for the Uchihas. It was the size of a small house for anyone else, she thought with a touch of sarcasm.

"Is it heated?" she asked, peeking her face up from her scarf.

"Hn."

"Good," she sighed.

When they reached it, Itachi cleared some of the snow away from the door with a shovel from a shed attached off the side of the cabin. He unlocked the door and entered, holding the door open for Sakura, then took off his boots and put on a pair of slippers from the organized shoe-cubby at the doorway.

_Yeah, cabin,_ thought Sakura. She kept her coat on, but shook the snow off as he set her boots by the door. It was freezing inside the small building. She was grateful for the consideration of the courtesy slippers that insulated her feet from the cold floorboards.

"It will warm up quickly," said Itachi, his face red from the winter wind outside. He closed and locked the door behind them and moved inside, to a small wood stove. With simple, familiar efficiency he had it loaded with kindling and had a small fire going, gradually adding more and larger pieces of wood as it took. As he set about making them more comfortable, Sakura hung up her coat after finding a bin of blankets under one of the windowsills.

Itachi hung their coats, gloves, hats, scarves and boots in front of the wood stove to warm and dry them.

"I remember the play house, but not this one," she said, looking around. It was old, with a worn-smooth wooden plank floor covered in rugs, furniture clean and serviceable, the walls plastered, not drywalled. There were tools arranged in a cabinet, and drawers built into the walls. A bit of dust hung in the warming air, but it wasn't excessive by any means. She spied a simple sink and table through a doorway. But no electricity, that she could tell.

"We used to have a groundskeeper who lived on the property. When he passed away, our family hired an outside company to assist with the outdoors upkeep."

Sakura looked at the blanket, stilling, as Itachi chuckled. "That is one of our old ones, not his. His things were returned to his family. We maintain the building to keep it in order."

"Ah."

With the fire steady, Itachi closed one of the grates and came to sit beside Sakura. She noticed his faint cologne; it was rare that she did, rare that they were close enough for her to breathe it in, and she found it familiar and comforting.

She tilted her head at him, eyes wide and trusting.

"You wanted to talk," she said, cuddling up in her blankets.

His neck stiff he nodded.

"Itachi. Relax."

She smiled at him, comfortable in her blankets.

Leaning back, he turned to look at her.

"Sakura," he said, voice quiet. "How much did Sasuke tell you about me? My past."

"In what way?"

"My service. To Konoha."

"He mentioned you joined young, still in high school. And that you were still affiliated with it, but that you didn't have a set job, just sort of could have one, if you wanted." She considered. "He said that you were away, often. Sometimes he wouldn't see you for weeks. He said you still kept up with your studies, though."

Itachi nodded. "What else?"

Sakura's brows drew together. "Shisui said… when you were in the house we were checking out, that I didn't need to worry about you. That you knew how to handle yourself. He said it like he knew you could handle yourself in some scary situations."

"He's right," said Itachi.

Sakura pressed her lips together, but kept her mouth closed, listening, waiting.

"Sakura, when I joined the Konoha forces I was sixteen. Before I was eighteen, I had joined the ranks of a particular deployment team." He leaned forward, pulling off his sweatshirt in a single, sinuous movement that made Sakura's mouth go dry. But that wasn't his intention. He raised the sleeve of his shirt, showing her his tattoo. "ANBU."

Sakura's eyes widened. "You were in ANBU?"

Itachi nodded.

She reached out to touch his tattoo but flinched when she came close, withdrawing her fingers.

"I knew you were part of something important, but I hadn't imagined ANBU. You're so young," she murmured.

Seeing her shoulders rounding, he lowered his sleeve and nodded. "I was a captain."

"Captain!"

Sakura's eyes were as huge as saucers.

He arched a brow at her.

"Hello, Overachievers Anonymous, we have a Captain for you," she said, looking at him with newfound awe.

A hint of pink darkened his cheeks. "I met Kisame there. We worked together."

"See, Kisame I can imagine doing scary missions." She couldn't stop staring at him. "Wait. Did he help get you out? Sasuke said you didn't want to be there, and that you wanted out for a while."

"One of the ones who helped me, yes. We assisted each other."

She continued looking at him before her cheek twitched. "There's more you aren't telling me."

"Sakura, I don't want to burden you, or make you panic," he began. "But I need you to understand that in some circumstances, I am a very qualified individual. Too qualified."

Sakura fidgeted with the blanket. "What kind of circumstances."

Holding her eyes and reaching out to calm her hands, Itachi said, "Difficult ones. Violent ones. I've fought in wars. I've been part of teams that had very low chances of survival. I've…" He fought down his mounting panic and forced himself to calm. "I was a soldier. I was a soldier trained to do very specific kinds of missions."

"What kinds of missions?" she asked quietly, taking his fingers in hers.

His eyes were dark and bleak, and her heart fell.

"You've killed people," she said in a whisper.

He nodded.

"Were you an assassin?"

He nodded.

She lifted a hand, taking more of his hand in her grip. "Don't put up your walls, Itachi."

"Before we go any further, I need you to know who I am. Who I really am." He looked down at their conjoined hands. "You need to know what you're getting into."

"What else?" asked Sakura after a few minutes of stroking his hands to calm him. To calm herself.

Itachi went over the mental list Shisui had given him. He swallowed. "I have PTSD."

Sakura nodded.

"I have flashbacks. I have periods of hyper awareness. I cannot be approached from behind," he listed off various issues he grappled with, daily. "I do not trust easily." The last he said, meeting her eyes again. "I struggle with giving up control."

Sakura bit her inner lip. "I wasn't making that any easier, was I?"

He shook his head once, but surprised her by giving her a small smile. "I've never endured such a pleasant strife. You are worth any wait."

Her smile wobbled and he reached up to touch her face.

"But Sakura, I am possessive. I can be controlling. I need you to give me boundaries," he said, looking intently into her eyes as he stroked her cheek. "I have trouble sleeping. For a time, I was… self-destructive." He took a breath. "Shame," he said quietly. "I feel shame, and guilt, deeply. Uncontrollably."

She nodded and his lips turned down in a frown. "Sakura, I need you to tell me, explicitly, what your boundaries are if we are to… see each other. I need you to be direct with me. Communicate with me."

"You need to do the same, Itachi," said Sakura, her green eyes firm. She touched his wrist. "You need to communicate with me. Tell me what you're feeling. Tell me what you need."

His eyes searched hers, and Sakura tapped his lips with her finger.

"And you'll need to tell me some of what happened to you, so I can understand and anticipate things. For my own safety, and also yours. Emotional safety," she said softly. "I don't want to hurt you, Itachi."

He took her fingers and brought them back to his lips, studying them.

"I am over-protective," he admitted finally.

Sakura smirked at him. "Perhaps you missed the part where I took on three kidnappers to save a kid, all by myself?"

His shoulders relaxing, he let out a small huff through his nose.

"Overachievers Anonymous, meet recruit number two," he said, leaning forward until he rested his forehead against hers.

"Hey, I'm in good company," she said.

"Hn."

There was a small quiet between them as they mulled over each other's comments.

"May I ask how many girlfriends you've had?"

"None."

Sakura's eyes widened at him as she pulled back to stare.

"No way."

He nodded once. "My outings were all political, mission-related, or social expectation. I have not invited anyone out of my own initiative. Until now."

"But… all the photos…"

He shook his head. "For appearances."

Sakura couldn't believe her ears. "Your poor mother," she said.

The corners of Itachi's eyes sagged. "She says the same thing."

Sakura laughed.

* * *

**(TBC in Ch 18, Christmas - NYE Part II)**

**AN: **Thank you so much to **ksatk, Hana-Taisho, pokesimmo, GalacticBatMegan, nikolita, aijoinu**, for all their help with this chapter! Sorry for the delay.

Also, for anyone looking for the ItaSaku story I promised to post earlier in 2015 (remember that poll I had on my profile?), and for all my NSFW / mature content, please check out my AO3 profile. (I respect 's posting guidelines and keep my mature content on another website: **Archive of Our Own**, username **moor**.)

* * *

**Reader Review Replies, Chapters 15-16!**

**Hitomi Star: **That has become a more and more popular opinion. ;) I like it!

**katsreddawn:** For you, Sasuke-character development AND Madara! Win-win!

**Gnahh:** Enjoy this extra-double-thick chapter with lots of not-so-subtle hints! I hope you liked this one!

** : **Thank you! Next update will be in March, with the epilogue.

**Hana-Taisho:** I post *ALL* NSFW content on my AO3 account (user name: moor), so if you're looking for more mature content, meander on over to AO3. As a user of this website, I gotta respect the rules of their game. Thank you so much for your suggestion! I'm so glad you liked it, and that you got a kick out of Madara. He made another appearance or two in this chapter. Hope you like the double-chapter-update!

**Guest**: Excellent question. Roughly speaking...

**KISAME'S KIDS:**

**Yuji (12-13) - Makoto daughter (9-11) - Dake (Gr 2) - Tomo (JK/Gr 1)**

**endlessromantic**: Thank you! I'm noting your vote for sharing, too. ;)

**Uchiha Misaki: **OMG, CONGRATULATIONS! How are you and baby doing? I'm so happy for you!

**Jan**: Lots of progress / development in this chapter for Sasuke (and no Karin)! As for the MadaSaku, I feel your pain. It is really hard to find good MadaSaku fanfic out there. I have one planned for later this year, once I finish up "Forest Fire II". Let me know if you have any good recs, please!

**KunoichiAbi: **Yay! It's awesome to hear you're enjoying the Forest Fire-verse! (Sweet gods, though, are your eyes okay?) XD These are the last two official 'chapters'; the only update left will be the epilogue. I love that you're enjoying Kisame, he's one of my favs to write, hahahah! And yes, this story will end very soon. "FF III" is being drafted, but won't be written for a few months or so. Thank you for reading!

**Hitomi Star:** Hot DAMN that's good to hear!

**animelover5107**: Hahahaha, upfront!Sakura is a lot of fun to write, especially when she's teasing Itachi. ;) Thank you so much for the lovely review!

**ElevatedJewel: **Damn, I should hire you to write the summaries for my fics, you're so good at it it makes me want to read my own stories, hahahah! As for Sasuke and Karin, it isn't happening in FF II. Rest easy, there. As for whether he realises what he did, I hope this chapter (and the one immediately after!) answer that question for you. I'm so glad you're enjoying Fugaku; it was hard to write him! One thing I've noticed, though, is that as stern men get older, they tend to turn into softies (especially around their grandbabies). ;) As for the girl-time portion, yay! I'm glad that came across well. I thought Sakura and Ino could do with a bit more time together, and Hinata needed some face time, too. Also, I'm going to leave off responding to your comments about Itachi and Sakura's UST until you read the next chapter…

**Yami no Emi: **You're very welcome, as always, Emi! :)

**Wolfy-sama: **Oh yes, it is… (See next chapter)

**Helennnn**: Hope you enjoy this chapter and the next; they're both quite long! Do let me know if you find the resolution to the UST between Sakura and Itachi 'resolved'. ;) If not, there's always my AO3 account where the NSFW is kept, hahahaha! And no worries about there being a repeat of "Lost and Found" from me; I honestly didn't have the balls to finish reading it when I saw the ANs and ran away with my fingers in my ears screaming, "HAPPY ENDING HAPPY ENDING HAPPY ENDING!" But seriously, I hope you enjoy the next chapter, and the epilogue that will show up sometime in March. ;) Take care, doll! Happy writing to you, too!

**miiss xana: **All will be revealed about Karin, in time. (Probably closer to FF III). As for fighting, there is definitely drama a'comin'!

**Sanban**: You're very welcome, I hope you enjoy the double-update this time! (And I agree, we all need an Ino. Mine is uchiha.s )

**AliceCambio:** More drama's on the way!

**NikolitaNiko:** We talk all the time. XD Thank you so much for your help &amp; feedback on this chapter!

**NovaCole**: Hee hee, I love writing the cute stuff. Humour &amp; fluff: my strong suits. Kisame's kids are based on mine (I only have 2, but they're a handful), and my imagining of Kisame has him as a proud papa, no matter what s* his kids get up to. Preferably, the more the better, hahahah! My Christmas was wonderful, thank you, and I hope you had a fantastic break, too! Cheers, and can't wait to hear what you think of the next chapters!

**ThatPageantGirl:** Hahaha, Yuji's a little s* disturber, isn't he? And Tomo's adorable. So glad you're enjoying the story!

**I'm in here:** If you like single-chapter updates, I hope you LOVED this double-chapter update! Sorry for the delays, there was a lot going on. Sasuke showed up here in this chapter, and things get a bit hotter in the next chapter, too. As for what Madara's been up to, you'll see very shortly. Good luck with school &amp; work, hon: fight on!

**Hitomi Star:** Hidan and Karin are blessedly absent in this chapter and the next, so I hope you enjoy them just a little bit more. ;) As for Madara's arrangements, I hope this chapter and the next elucidate things a bit. Happy reading!

**Wolfy-sama: **Behold my Karin-free chapters! I hope they appease you. :) Thank you for the compliments, though, hahaha!

**Hitomi Star: **Glad I was able to assuage some of your concerns in Chapter 9. ;) (And that you got a laugh out of the class's reactions to Itachi's lecture.)

**ukatoemina**: Oy, you focus on school. ;) Be like Sakura! Beat up bad guys and stay in school, hahaha! As for Sasuke interrupting Sakura and Itachi, coughcough, read through this chapter and the next and let me know what you think. ;) As for Karin, this chapter and the next are Karin-free! We'll see her have a bigger role in FF III, though, and her motivations will become a lot clearer. There're reasons I'm holding back with her a bit atm. Yes, the pills are a hint, as is the box from the pharmacy. Switching tacks, I love how you and so many others are adoring Tomo (and Kisame's other kids). Thank you, as always, for the wonderful reviews. You keep me grinning. :) P.S. Should you be worried about what Hidan plans to use Sakura for as Itachi's payment for Mangekyou? Yes. Very, very much so.

**Playmate11**: Karin-free chapters! :D Get 'em while they're hot! Also, as requested, Sasuke home early for Christmas. Enjoy!

**animelover5107**: Yes, the 'thing' between Karin and Sasuke is creepy, and will get worse, rest assured! (But in FF II, which won't be for a while, so you get a reprieve until then) And congrats on making it through 4 kids; I'm usually done with mine by supper, and I only have 2, hahahaha! (Seriously, I love 'em to death) So glad you're enjoying it!

**GalacticBatMegan:** Love and warm wishes to you, too, luv, and I'm so glad you like Kisame's kids! They're a riot, aren't they? And yes, I was bordering on Sasuke-ism by the holidays. Doing much better now since I dropped down to PT work (only). And look at the lovely updates I'm providing, now! I miss having money, but I like not bringing (as much) work home. ;) Cheers to you! (PS: Remember that Madara song you told me about…)

**miiss xana:** Hellooooo to you, too, xana! She is definitely giving him a hard time about waiting until NYE, isn't she? hahahah!

**Helennnn**: Karin-free chapters! :D Aren't they glorious? (Though she has a proper purpose, which will be revealed probably in FF III.) As for the UST between Sakura and Itachi, Sakura has decided she is going to torment Itachi until she gets what she wants. I'm totally okay with her doing this. I would. XD I loved your recent updates, btw, and am in knots about Sakura and Itachi's UST in your fics. DAMNIT. LOCK 'EM IN A CLOSET ALREADY, HELENNNN. EVEN IF IT IS A SIDEFIC. (Yeah, I know, I shouldn't talk) hahahah! Things on my homefront are much more relaxed now, though, and thank you for checking in. Hope work is easing for you! Cheers!

**Rizu Hatake-hime:** I love the feeling I get when I see one of my fav fics updated, too. It's like a mini-special-me-gift that makes me bite my lip and grin every time. ;) Totally know where you're coming from. As for Sakura and Itachi, you aren't the first one to mention Itachi's resilience, and being impressed by it. I think we all are… but imagine what it'll be like when he finally caves. THAT'S what I'm looking forward to. ;) You reminded me just now I missed out on an opportunity to bring Ino into the most recent chapters, dangit! Argh. Ah well. We'll have extra Ino in the epilogue. Promise. Happy to share, and have a great week!

**Hana-Taisho:** I always try to reply to reviews! I feel terrible when I miss them, especially on older stories. Hence, replying to reviews every chapter (I can) for this story! I really enjoyed writing the shopping trip between Itachi and Sakura. It was a little domestic, and a little cute, and a little fun, all in one. I can't wait to write Sakura, later, when she and Itachi are properly together, going shopping together and Sakura turning into a territorial tiger around Itachi, scaring off the salesgirls who get a bit too forward around him, hahahahah! Thank you for the lovely comments!

**AliceCambio:** Yes, Sasuke's avoidance is kind of legendary so far in this story… that will be changing. ;)

**Uchiha Misaki:** Karin sleeps very little atm; luckily she had a chapter or two off to catch up on herself!

**ElevatedJewel: **Good point; I haven't been giving Sasuke much Asshole Owning The Universe confidence /sass / condescension as I rightly should. Hopefully the scene in the next chapter (you'll know it when you see it) will reassure the Asshole, I mean Sasuke, we know and love IS still in there. He's coming back. As for Sasuke and Sakura… I think you'll like the next chapter (at the very least, a few very specific scenes). As for Sakura &amp; her 'cycle', you're welcome. ;) I know not everyone's a fan of detail in that respect.

**Sanban**: All is well now, and the stalker has been gone for years! I hear he found God. I had left the province by that point, but good for him. XD As for Kisame, I'm just in love with making him a semi-retired badass. (As for the comedy, have you ever checked out the "Chipmunk Kisame" short vid on You Tube? The first time I saw it, I laughed and fell out of my chair.) I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your family, and yes, I've had a bit of a rest, too (thank you for asking!), hence the nice long double-chap update. Enjoy!

**miiss xana: **You're welcome for all the hard work! This chapter is definitely long, as you requested. Thank you for the compliment!

**aijoinu**: I talk to you all the time, and you already know most of my answers and plotting for things coming, but just in case, thank you so much for your help recently with FF II, Smut Monday on tumblr, and my other WIPs. You're amazing! As for the Mangekyou/Hidan/Itachi/Sakura situation, we'll see that resolved in FF III. As for possible stalker tendencies from Itachi, you saw part of that explained. ;) Thank you again for all your help, and happy reading!

**Dattebayoo**: Hello, and welcome to the comments, hahahah! And no, you aren't the only one who wants Sakura and Sasuke together. Trust me, there's a loyal following! And you make some excellent points about Sasuke, and Itachi 'taking' everything he's ever worked for (and Sasuke feeling like he has to start something completely new, in an entirely different place, in order to make his own way somewhere Itachi can't reach). That's something I tried to bring out in this (and in FF I), and you're absolutely right. It wasn't just that Sasuke messed up, it was that the person he trusted and admired most in his life took away the person he loved the most. He was devastated. As for the drama and the heartache, I'll take those as a compliment. ;) I tried really hard to bring all kinds of emotions out in "FF" and "FF II", and it's kind of awesome to hear it has meant so much to you! When you ask about adding Kakashi more into a story, do you mean giving him a story of his own (there are two in the works!), or do you mean giving him a bigger role in FF? (Clarifying) As for the writing… If you wanna write, write. That's all there is to it. :) Write what you want to see, I figure. (My tumblr is my writing playground atm. I post my more 'polished' and edited work here on this site.) Thank you for the lovely, thoughtful review, and I hope you enjoy the rest of FF II! Cheers, and have a great week!


	18. New Years Eve

**Christmas &amp; New Years (Continued)**

* * *

When they returned to the main house, Itachi pulled Sakura down the hall to his room. Their hands hadn't separated for longer than it took to remove gloves or boots since they left the cozy cabin. Itachi promised to bring her back there again soon.

"What about supper?" Sakura asked, hearing Mikoto calling for Sasuke and Naruto to join them at the table. "It's Christmas dinner."

"In a moment."

He closed his door behind them and ushered her to his neatly made bed.

"Itachi?"

He opened his closet and pulled out a box the size of a small piece of luggage. He set it in Sakura's arms and immediately grabbed her gift to him from his desk.

"Now I can open yours," he said, taking a seat beside her.

"They're waiting for us for supper."

"Open it," he said, already slipping the ribbon off the gift she'd given him. "I want to see your reaction," he murmured, leaning into her ear.

Warmth creeping up the back of Sakura's neck and into her cheeks, she set to unwrapping her box.

With a small tug she lifted the lid and… stared.

"Pull it out," said Itachi, laughing under his breath.

Setting the box down, Sakura pulled out the heavy white top.

"A gi?"

Setting down his own gift, Itachi helped Sakura spread it out in full. Her gasp had him wetting his lips.

"The Konoha emblem!" she exclaimed. She quickly flipped it over, and gasped again, seeing HARUNO across the back.

"In the New Year," said Itachi, sweeping some of Sakura's hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "There is a tournament."

"I remember you mentioning it," she whispered, enthralled by her gift.

"You will be moving up several levels at the Club. You also have a position on the tournament team. This is your uniform."

"But—I thought only third and fourth year students participated."

"Normally, yes. However, the sensei had a meeting. You are moving up."

"Is this… is this because of us?" she asked, turning away from her wonderful gift to look at him.

He shook his head, smiling at her. "No. This is all you."

"All m…"

He saw the wetness building in the corners of her eyes and pulled her closer, resting his head on top of her crown.

"All you," he repeated. "Be proud of your accomplishments, Sakura. I am proud of you," he said.

"Your p-present," she stuttered, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve.

"Mother is going to gut me for upsetting you," he said, making her laugh.

"Happy tears. Now open it!"

His smile relaxed and genuine, he picked up her gift and removed the rest of the paper with a small crackle.

And felt his stomach drop.

Biting her lip, Sakura looked up at him and poked him in the side.

"Deidara did them."

Nodding, Itachi willed his hands not to shake.

"This is me wearing my costume at Halloween. Deidara had some props at the studio on campus, and I posed for him there. Some of his friends came by and helped, for this one, for example, where we needed to arrange the flowers…" She saw his blank face and her words trailed off.

Itachi moved to the next one. "This is from the MA club party, mid-term," he remembered aloud.

Sakura nodded. "And this one," she said, pulling out the last photo. "Is from that night at _Akatsuki_."

Itachi's breathing stopped.

He felt a burn across his cheeks.

Had they really looked like that?

"Deidara said you were a very lucky man, by the way, that he was such an honourable gentleman," teased Sakura.

Sakura in her costume, Itachi in his formal wear, his eyes so intent on her as he held her against him in the throes of—

He felt a gentle poke in the side and turned glazed eyes to Sakura. She was utterly fetching with her warm smile and pink cheeks.

"Do you like them?"

He nodded before remembering how to speak. "Very much," he said, voice hoarse.

"Good."

His heart raced in his chest as he lifted a hand to her cheek, his eyes on her lips, his other hand lifting to the back of her head pulling her close—

"Hey, it's supper t…" Sasuke's voice trailed off as he knocked on Itachi's door and came to a halt.

Sakura closed her eyes to gather her composure. "Coming," she said, slowly getting to her feet.

"Hn."

Itachi followed after her a moment later, and Sasuke brought up the rear, without a word.

"There you are!"

It was a very full table as Mikoto greeted them. "Sit wherever you can find room. Oh, Sakura, what is that? Is that a sweater?"

Shaking her head, Sakura looked down and realized she was still carrying the gi Itachi had given her. "Oh, Itachi gave me a uniform of my own for Christmas. For the Konoha team," she said, lifting it up proudly. Her grin widened as she saw her parents at the table, and she lifted it higher to show them. "See? I got a permanent position on the team! I start on the official tourney team roster in January." She flipped it around. "It has my name on the back!"

"Oh my goodness!" Mikoto exclaimed, as Sakura's parents cheered for her. "That hasn't happened since Itachi started at Konoha!"

"I can't believe it," murmured Mebuki, beaming with pride at her daughter. "Sakura, you've worked so hard! I'm so proud of you!"

"Congratulations, Sakura," said Sakura's father, still weak but gamely participating in the meal as they all took their seats. She sat between her parents and hugged them both.

"I'm bringing pompoms and cheering for you at your next match!" Naruto gave her an exaggerated thumbs up and a wink.

"That is a huge honour, Sakura. I remember when Itachi received his team uniform. He lived in it for entire weekends when the tournaments heated up," laughed Mikoto, her eyes shining. "He always took care of it, though, because he'd planned on passing it down to…" Mikoto's happiness dipped before she picked up a platter of carrots and passed it down the line. "Please help yourselves!"

Seated at Itachi's side, Sasuke was silent.

The noise settled into a pleasant chatter as everyone dug into their meal, and as they took a break between the main course and dessert, Mikoto brought out a basket.

"Here you go, Sakura. You had a few presents left after this morning."

Mouth drying, Sakura nodded and swallowed to clear her throat. "Thank you, Mikoto. I apologize for getting so upset."

"Don't think anything of it," said Mikoto. "Oh, this one's from Sasuke!"

With hesitant fingers, Sakura reached for it. "Thank you."

"Open the others first," said Sasuke.

She looked at him from across the table before setting it back down in the basket. "Saving the best for last," she said to the others with a wink. "It better not explode with glitter, Sasuke," she teased. The rest laughed. She opened her presents and thanked each person, and with a bit of sleight of hand stashed Sasuke's gift under her sweater, hidden by a mess of wrapping paper.

* * *

From across the table Sasuke watched her open the rest of her presents, bile rising in his throat.

Humiliated. He would be humiliated if she opened it in front of everyone now.

With a patience he hadn't felt he possessed in a long time, he watched her open one gift after another, before setting the empty basket aside.

His brow furrowed

Empty?

She had hidden it, he realized.

He glanced at Sakura to find her looking at him with a knowing expression. She patted her stomach subtly and he felt his shoulders relax.

After the meal. He could talk to her after the meal. He could make her understand what he… meant… with his gift.

* * *

It was as Itachi was helping Mikoto clear the dishes that Sasuke seized his chance.

"Sakura?"

"Hm?" She looked up from where she was speaking with her parents, and met his eyes.

"We're quite tired out from such a busy meal," said Sakura's mother, sensing tension between the young pair. "Would you two mind helping us back to our room? We'll retire early tonight."

Accepting the cue readily, Sasuke offered his arm to Sakura's father, while Sakura assisted her mother back to their room.

"Your necklace is gone, Mom," remarked Sakura. She had only just noticed. Her grandmother had given it to her mother as a girl. Her mother treasured it.

"Ah… it must have been lost in the accident," murmured Mebuki. "I'll have to get another one."

Sakura nodded. Perhaps she could save up for one and surprise her mother? It gave her a new goal, and she decided to look into it. Perhaps she could find something similar?

"Just give a call if you need anything," said Sakura, giving her parents a hug and kiss goodnight.

"We're just fine," said her father, returning her hug with weak arms. He had not fared or recovered as well as Mebuki, but he maintained his positive outlook. Sasuke didn't doubt it was for Sakura's sake.

Closing the door behind her, Sakura looked at Sasuke with red, sunken eyes.

"Hm?"

His shoulders drooped. She looked bone-weary.

"Come on," he said, taking her hand and drawing her to his room. He closed the door behind him.

"Sasuke," she said, a note of caution in her voice.

"Sit, please. You're tired," he said, gentling his voice.

With a small sigh she took a seat on the edge of his bed. Before she flopped backwards, letting out a long, low breath. "Exhausted," she admitted.

With her lying on her back, Sasuke noted the small bulk of her sweater where his gift was hidden. Taking a step towards her, he sat beside her and tapped her knee.

"Hn."

"Hm?"

He poked the gift. "I waited all day," he said in a quiet, patient tone.

"Right. Sorry," she said, sighing and, still on her back she lifted the hem of her sweater and pulled it out, now warm from her skin. Unable to not tease him, she brought it to her ear and gave it a little shake.

With an exasperated eye-roll, Sasuke leaned back and reached across her to take it from her.

"Hey!" She called, stretching her hand further out of his reach.

"If you aren't going to open it—" He huffed.

"I'm opening it, I'm opening it!" she laughed.

"You're being difficult. I'll just get a refund," he said, egging her on as he leaned further, now on his side and half-climbing her.

"Sasuke! Just give me some room," she laughed.

"No," he said, his tone now smug as he leaned closer and placed a hand on the other side of her head. He looked down into her eyes. "Open it."

"And the asshole we know and love is back," she said, arching her brow, still smiling.

To her disquiet, he continued looking down at her, intent and focused.

"Yes," he said after a moment. "I am."

He watched her swallow.

Wordless Sakura brought the package down between them, and unwrapped it.

She pressed her lips together. "Tickets," she murmured, looking at them. "Plane tickets."

Sasuke nodded. "I want you to come visit."

Her chest shuddered and she took a deep breath. "I'll be there for the tournament," she said. "We can meet up then."

"Not for the tournament," said Sasuke.

She looked up from the tickets to really see him, into his dark, shining eyes.

"I miss you, Sakura," he admitted.

Her lips parted but she was frozen.

"I made a mistake. I hurt you when I was hurting. I pushed you away when I should have relied on you, trusted you, and let you decide what you could or could not handle. I didn't want to push you into something more serious, though, and I.. I hurt us both," he confessed in jilted sentences.

"Sasuke," she began, but Sasuke shook his head.

"Sakura, I'm sorry."

Sakura's entire body went slack on Sasuke's bed.

Her pulse fluttered in her throat. "You…"

"I'm sorry," he repeated, a furrow between his serious brows. "I want another chance. With you."

The hand by her head moved as he shifted his weight, lifting himself up to hover over Sakura, a leg on either side of hers as he straddled her.

He reached down to his pocket and pulled out another box, velvet, smaller than the first.

"Sasuke," she tried again, her words barely a whisper.

He shook his head, wishing his hand would stop shaking. "This is also part of your gift."

She shook her head, reaching down to cover it with her hand, but he pressed it into her palm.

"Open it."

Pressing her lips together, Sakura shimmied to the side and looked away from Sasuke. He lowered himself down until his body pinned hers.

"Sakura, open it. Please."

"Sasuke, I think I should go," she said, looking towards the door.

"Stay. Please, open it. I meant to give you this a long time ago—"

She shook her head, wanting nothing more than to avoid conflict with him. "Sasuke, please, it's been a really long day, and really emotional and I think I should—"

Wildness flashed across Sasuke's face as he grabbed for her, seizing hold of her and halting her attempts to escape. "Listen to me! I'm—I'm trying to talk to you, I want to listen to you, but I keep getting things wrong and I need you to listen, I need someone to listen, and the anger is getting worse, and you're pulling away, and I don't know what to do and—damnit, _would you just open the box!_"

Her breathing rapid and shallow, Sakura remained very still as Sasuke raged over her.

_Breathe in, breathe out_, she reminded herself. _Breathe in, breathe out._

She hadn't realised she was speaking it aloud until she saw Sasuke following her directions.

"Breathe in," she whispered. "Breathe out."

Very slowly, as if he were a wild animal, she lifted her hand to his cheek, and stroked it, holding eye contact as she repeated softly. "Breathe in. Breathe out."

His breath hitched, steadied, and slowly calmed.

"Breathe in. Breathe out," she murmured, stroking his cheek before placing her hand on the back of his neck and pulling him down until he rested atop her, heart to heart, and she wrapped her arms around him.

"Breathe in. Breathe out," she said, stroking his hair, his back. She dropped her head back and closed her eyes when he let his head fall into her shoulder, hiding his eyes.

When the feel of his racing heart evened out, she let her mantra fade and simply held him.

"You've been angry?" she asked, keeping her voice quiet and gentle.

He nodded into her shoulder.

"Since the summer?"

He nodded.

She stroked his hair. "I'm okay. You didn't hurt me. He didn't hurt me. No one hurt me." Her voice was light and soothing. "I'm okay. Okay?"

She felt him shudder against her.

"Sasuke?"

He pressed his face into her shoulder, which became warm and damp. Her heart broke.

"I think you need to talk to someone about this," she said. "I talk to Ino about things. I talked to you about things, before. I… I didn't tell anyone, but after what happened in the hospital, with the kidnappers, I went to talk to someone professional. It helped, Sasuke. I had a little bit of PTSD, and it helped me get control of myself again. I still go once every few weeks, just to check in."

He shuddered against her. She stroked his back and held him close. "Routines help. I have little things I do that help, too. Like exercise! You do that, too. I can feel it," she said, lightly teasing him by squeezing him. "You may laugh at this, but cuddling helps with stress, too. I'll save you the bio-chem-psych lecture, but it does. Ino hugs me when I need it. Sometimes we just sit on a couch and watch a movie and cuddle. It doesn't have to be romantic. Cuddling helps, though." She shrugged.

"I want to help you, Sasuke. You know I love you, right?"

Her breath caught as she felt his arms shake and, an inch at a time, wrap around her.

Then pull her in, tight.

The warmth built behind her eyes, and she let it out, along with a deep breath. "See?" she murmured, stroking his back and holding him close. Her voice shook with emotion and she pressed on. "We'll fix everything. I'm listening. If you want to talk, I'm listening. But no more forcing or intimidating me, okay? I don't… I would never hurt you on purpose, but I don't take that. Not from anyone. It would hurt me too much to hurt you. I'm ready to listen, okay?"

It was a few minutes more, but Sasuke pulled his face from her shoulder and took a breath to clear himself.

He pulled away from Sakura, just enough to take some of his weight off her, before looking into her face.

She reached up to cup his cheek and smiled.

"You look better than I did when I had this conversation with Ino and ended up bleeding make-up all over her favourite blouse."

He snorted, but it was weak.

She winked at him.

He opened his mouth to speak, and his hands clenched around her. "Tell anyone about this, even Naruto—"

"It stays between us," she said. Her fingers combed his hair, tucking shaggy locks behind his ear. She had become quite fond of Itachi doing that to her.

As if it was exactly what he'd been needing, he suddenly relaxed, tucking himself into her side, his arms folding around her like wings.

"What's been happening, Sasuke?" she asked.

Another moment passed before he let out a breath, closing his eyes. "In Oto, at work, there was a man named Kimimaro…"

And like that, they talked. For hours. As if nothing had ever changed between them.

That was how Mikoto found them the next morning; with Naruto having snuck in curled up with them in Sasuke's bed at some point, all fully clothed and their arms around each other, sleeping soundly.

She closed the door behind her and let them sleep.

* * *

"We need a bigger bed," yawned Naruto when they surfaced around lunch. It had taken a few minutes to untangle themselves from each other. They were having a very late start to their morning. Shoulder to shoulder at the table, they had yet to let each other go.

Sakura's parents chortled as Sakura frowned at Naruto. "You still kick in your sleep."

"We need to rehydrate," said Sasuke, scowling at both of them. "Pass me the juice, please," he said to Sakura. She nodded and passed it to him, and he grunted in thanks.

"It's just like when they were kids and had sleepovers," said Mebuki, grinning at Mikoto.

"Oh, I know! I still have the photos—let me go get them!" Mikoto beamed.

"Really?" Mebuki said, smile widening.

"Moooom!" whined Sakura and Sasuke, while Naruto perked up. "Really?" he asked.

"You were such happy babies, all sleeping together!"

"This is so embarrassing," muttered Sakura, rubbing at her eyes and reaching for the maple syrup, which Sasuke was already passing her.

"Hn," he grumbled.

Mikoto had returned and pulled a seat up to Mebuki's side as they shared the album. "Oh, this is the one from this morning? You already have a collage. Mikoto, you're a mega-mom."

"It keeps me busy," sighed Mikoto, wistful. "Since my son hasn't granted me grandbabies yet."

Sasuke and Sakura choked, spitting out their pancakes and juice. Naruto looked at them, horrified and intrigued.

"Itachi," clarified Mebuki, looking over at Sakura and Sasuke, amusement dancing in her eyes. "You two are so silly. You just graduated high school!"

"Isn't he still a little young," hedged Sakura, reaching blindly; Sasuke stuffed a napkin in her hand and she nodded at him.

"I suppose, these days," sighed Mikoto. "But he's had years and hasn't been serious about anyone. Until… ah… recently," she said, trailing off. She cleared her throat. "Here Mebuki, you take a look through. I'm going to work on the dishes."

"Don't you have a dishwasher?" asked Naruto.

"Hn," said Mikoto, making her way to the kitchen.

Feeling a bit awkward, Sakura finished her meal and left to take a shower.

* * *

Itachi found her in her room later, towelling off her hair. She had on a tank top and jeans, her feet bare. The rug in front of her bed protected her from the cold hardwood floor and she refused to leave it.

He knocked on her door and waited for her to invite him in.

"Always such a gentleman," she said, waving him in. "It's okay, I'm just drying my hair."

"After what happened the last time I caught you in the shower, I didn't want to interrupt unannounced."

It took Sakura a second to remember what he meant before she blushed and bit her tongue. "I'll have to return the favour sometime," she said, deciding to play it off with cheek and a raised brow.

Sakura's eyes widened as Itachi's ears turned pink at the edges and he cleared his throat under his breath. "Hn," he said, lowering his voice and stepping closer. "I came to talk to you about that."

"Me watching you shower?"

"You sound… hopeful," he remarked aloud, just to watch her face flood red. He chuckled and came to a stop in front of her. "About New Year's Eve," he clarified, letting her off the hook.

"You want me to watch you shower on New Year's Eve?" she said, playing along with an impish grin.

At that he laughed aloud, and Sakura's knees wobbled together, her thighs clenching. The wonderful sound made her heart race and she could smell his cologne, he stood so close. It was faint, but there. It wasn't often she remembered him wearing it, but it was familiar from their time together at the cabin, and at Kisame's. Perhaps he'd always worn it and they just hadn't been close enough for her to breathe it in until recently? It evoked such a sense of warmth and comfort, he must have been wearing it for years before she consciously picked up on it. Always there, but only now was she aware of it.

"You… are dangerous," she mumbled, glancing away as she rubbed her hair harder. She let the towel slip lower and cover her warm face.

"Yes," he confirmed, his steps slowing.

"And perfect," she said, feeling him closing in.

"Hn," he said, his voice stroking down her skin like satin.

"And sexy," she murmured, grateful for the towel's protection—until Itachi lifted it and peeked underneath to join her.

"Hn," he agreed with a purr.

Sakura swallowed audibly.

"Good thing we match," he said, finding her eyes.

"I'm not," she said, struggling to breathe when he had that look in his eyes. It was very confident, and very knowing.

And very determined.

"Sakura," he murmured, tugging the towel to the side. "Could a woman who took out three kidnappers and made Konoha's MA club tourney team in her first term, be anything less than a certified bad ass?"

He continued advancing, backing her up, her eyes locked on his.

"Could a woman who scored a perfect result on her every exam, who went out of her way to care for her friends even when they didn't deserve it, be anything less than perfect?"

Sakura let the towel fall just before her back bumped lightly against the wall. Her breathing hitched.

"And could a woman make me weak in the knees with nothing but her smile if she was anything less than sexy?" he purred, closing the distance between them.

Her hands rose, her fingers clutching at his shirt as his lifted to her damp hair, making him smile. Tucking her loose hair back, he leaned in close and whispered in her ear,

"Sakura, would you do me the honour of joining me on New Year's Eve?"

He was pleased when he heard her breathing shorten. Then he felt her hold on him tighten, and her fingers toy with the ends of his loose ponytail. _Had he played straight into her hands?_

"Itachi, would you do me the honour of kissing me before New Year's Eve?" she asked, turning her face into his. He could feel her smiling lips against the skin of his throat.

_Yes, he had,_ he realized. Itachi bit the inside of his cheek to stifle his reaction, yet a part of him was secretly pleased.

"We waited this long, you don't think you can make it just a bit longer?" His hands reached for her sides, settling on her hips. Again he had to strangle his groan as her body melted into his, and beneath his hands he felt her muscles flexing through their layers of clothes.

"You know," she said, breathing into his ear and making him shiver. "I'm beginning to think you aren't waiting for me precisely. Do you and Kisame have a bet going?"

Itachi swallowed.

"You can tell me, if you do," she purred, turning his own tricks against him. Her hands drifted from his shirt and hair to press against his chest, sliding down his abdomen. His fit muscles jumped under her touch, and she chuckled. "A little sensitive, Itachi?" she breathed.

"I told you you were dangerous," he whispered, his firm body caging her in, from their knees to their chests.

"I'm a pussy cat," she sat, trailing her nose along the ridge of his jaw. "See?"

Itachi felt a shiver ripple through him as her hands moved from his abdomen down, down, until they traced the waist of his jeans and around to his back. And then slid into his back pockets, remaining there less than a second before sliding around to his front and up his sides once more to cross behind his neck and pull him down.

"Perfectly harmless," she murmured, arching up into him.

His body moved on instinct, his hips meeting and pressing into hers as he let out a heavy breath.

"If you're harmless, so am I," he murmured, leaning close so Sakura's lips brushed against his cheek. His heart began pounding harder the longer they stood there, entwined.

Could they do this? Throw caution, reservation and pride to the wind and indulge?

Her blood rushing in her veins, warmth flooding her body inside and out, Sakura pulled back half an inch before rolling her hips, her eyes holding his through the smooth, sinuous movement; she knew she didn't imagine Itachi's small gasp, or the way his hands tightened on her hips.

"Vixen," he hissed. His head came to rest against the wall behind Sakura as he tucked her into his larger body, his breaths short and panting. "You're trying me."

_I'd like to try you on,_ Inner Sakura thought; which was when Sakura promptly felt Itachi tense against her.

Shit. Inner Sakura had gotten out.

_I just said that aloud_. She closed her eyes and waited for the floor to swallow her. Any minute now. _Please, gods, demons, any supernatural force that may hold even a modicum of compassion for me, please for the love of all that was holy, swallow me now_.

… silence.

Sakura cursed everything.

She heard him swallow.

"Sakura?" he asked, voice hoarse.

"Hmm?" She was mortified, and worse, she was still significantly turned on.

She forced herself to look up at his face, at his wide, midnight eyes as they were fixed on her.

"I… Is it only a physical relationship you seek?" he asked after a heartbeat.

Grimacing, her face flushing and cooling until it made her feel faint, Sakura was about to answer 'of course not'... when she gave the matter more thought.

Was it?

Was she attracted to him strictly because of how handsome he was? Of what she wanted him to be? Was she interested in him because he was her first serious relationship (to be) after… Sasuke? Her first love. An older, more mature, highly driven and successful version of Sasuke, in a way.

Worse, was she doing this subconsciously to hurt Sasuke?

A sick feeling curdled in her stomach, and that was all it took.

She knew the answer immediately.

"No," she said softly, loosening her grip on him and letting her back fall away to press against the wall instead of arching into Itachi's body. She gave him a genuine, and calm, smile. "No," she repeated, shaking her head "It is something I want, but it isn't the only thing I want."

"Sakura," he murmured, his hold on her changing, coming around her back and her neck to tilt her head up to his again. His thumb smoothed across her heated cheek. "I care about you very much. What I want isn't a casual relationship, nor a strictly physical one." He stared deeply into her eyes. "If… If you need more time, or if you don't want this, and all this entails, with me too, be direct with me." The heat flared in his expression, as did the intensity. "I want a relationship with you that is full. Emotional, mental, physical," he admitted. "But more than that, committed. Dedicated."

Wetting her lips, she considered his words and her possible answers.

_Time to be honest with yourself,_ Inner said. _Do you want a no-strings-attached fling, or do you want the real thing? Are you looking for a distraction or a relationship?_

"Because…," he swallowed, his cinnamon breath warm across her face as he exhaled. His hold tensed a moment before he continued. "Sex isn't casual for me, Sakura. That isn't how I was raised."

"I know that, Itachi." Her skin still tingled occasionally from her first, and only, time with Sasuke. She knew their family's beliefs; it hadn't been casual between her and Sasuke, either. And the pull they'd had between them was still there, though tempered with their drift.

To imagine something similar with Itachi would be on another level.

He shook his head. "No, I don't think you understand what I'm…" He let out a low breath. His shoulders twisted as he mulled over the topic he was trying to broach. He swallowed. "In the cabin, do you remember my answer, when you asked me about my personal history?"

"About how you hadn't really dated, unless it was an expectation?"

He nodded.

"Yes… but what does that have to do with things? You know how to conduct yourself, Itachi. You would never take advantage of me. Your entire personae is one of someone who protects," she said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "I'm not concerned about you hurting me." She gave him a bright smile. "I trust you."

His expression was almost pained. "Sakura, I'm trying to explain that I'm… I'm not, like… you… and Sasuke… I'm still a—"

Confused, Sakura lifted a finger and slipped some of Itachi's hair behind his ear, shaking her head at him. "How are you lost for words? You're Uchiha Itachi," she said, smiling up at him.

He took her shoulders, his expression pleading with her to understand. Why couldn't he say it?

"I haven't… You and Sasuke did, but I—" Of all the times to lose his confidence. He tried one last time. "Sakura, what I'm trying to say is, I was raised to wait for marriage. I waited. I waited for—"

So wrapped up in his confession was Itachi that he didn't hear the knock on Sakura's door, or the footsteps entering.

"Sakura? You in your room?" Sasuke called, walking in, just as Itachi stumbled out, "I'm still a virgin," swallowing tightly.

Sasuke's feet stalled so suddenly he tripped to a stop.

"What?" asked Sasuke, mouth gaping.

Sakura blinked, slowly, in disbelief.

Itachi's shoulders straightened even as he closed his eyes and murmured something so quietly Sakura couldn't hear it. But going from the intensity of his lips' movement, it looked graphic and painful.

She bit her lip.

Then she tucked her head into Itachi's shoulder, to make sure no one could see the fire engine red that blazed across her cheeks.

_For no, it wasn't possible… that she would be (possibly) devirginizing both the Uchiha brothers within a year of each other._

She bit her lip harder as she thought it over.

… _was it?_

_Hmmm._

* * *

Making her way to the tv room with a tray of snacks, Mikoto's smile faded as she took in everyone's postures.

Naruto was confused; he kept looking between her sons and Sakura, who sat on the couch. And why were her sons crowding Sakura like that? She was trying to relax and watch Naruto play the silly dance competition video game; yet she had her hands fused to her lap, her back ramrod straight. She barely moved.

And her boys, she didn't know what she was going to do with them, or what they'd been up to this time. But Sasuke had stretched himself across half the sofa, his arms and legs wide taking up a seat and a half. While Itachi feigned patience on Sakura's other side; yet his shoulders were tense, and his face was tight. Her boys each had a thigh up against poor Sakura, caging her in.

But the strangest part of all: she had never seen Sasuke look so smug around his older brother before, or Itachi so… defensive.

Deciding for once that no, she didn't need to interfere, Mikoto placed the platter on the coffee table, wished them all a good night, and took herself to bed.

_Deal with it, boys_, she sighed to herself.

"Everything okay?" asked Fugaku as she settled in beside him.

Mikoto looked at him. And arched a brow.

"Hnn?" he asked, looking up from his report.

"Nothing," she sighed, pulling the blankets up.

"What?" asked Fugaku, setting down his report, confused.

"Nothing," she repeated, voice light. "Sleep well."

Fugaku's brow furrowed. "Good night." Then. "I love you."

Mikoto's expression softened. "Love you, too."

* * *

"Uhhhh, Sasuke, your turn?" Naruto offered the controller, eyeing at the trio plastered together on the couch. "Are you comfortable like that?" he asked Sakura.

"Yep," said Sakura. It was a lie. A bold-faced lie.

"Hn," said Sasuke, disinterested.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Sakura, you want a turn? Itachi?" He turned to them with the controller.

"Would you like to join me?" asked Itachi, turning to Sakura.

Sakura tilted her head to the side, then a smile peeked through her lips. "Yes."

Sasuke sat up and narrowed his eyes. "We can all play. Give me a controller," he snapped at Naruto.

"But you said—"

"That one. From the docking station. It's charged."

Mumbling under his breath about something that sounded suspiciously close to 'cupid briny witches', Naruto grabbed the controller and threw it at Sasuke. Sasuke caught it one-handed while Itachi and Sakura chose their own controllers and flipped through the playlist.

Shit was on.

For his part, Naruto took one look at the trio… then at the clock (almost midnight)... then set his controller back in the charging station, turned around, and went to his room to sleep.

_Nope_, he thought. _Nope nope nope._

In fact, first thing the next morning he was calling Hinata and asking her if she wanted to come visit him at his place. Yep, that's what he was doing. That was his plan and he was sticking to it.

But for now, he was hitting the hay.

* * *

Sweaty and panting, Sakura braced herself against her knees while at either side, Sasuke and Itachi feigned complete nonchalance. Sweat ran down the Uchihas' temples, and they had stripped down to their undershirts.

It wouldn't have been so horrible if they weren't both so damn competitive with each other.

Not that she was complaining about how they looked; that was…

She bit her lip and turned half away to gather her wayward thoughts.

The sight the pair of them made was distracting. Very distracting.

She blew out hard through her mouth, not quite sure why she was so damn warm. They'd stopped adding wood to the fire half an hour earlier, and it was dying to embers. They still smouldered, though.

"You know it's almost one in the morning," she said to them.

"I'm fine to continue," said Itachi.

"Same," said Sasuke.

_Of course you are, you're Uchihas and you're having a lovely pissing contest,_ she mentally sighed.

"Well, I'm going to grab some more water to drink and then head to bed. Enjoy yourselves," she said, straightening… until she found herself leaning to the side, off-balance.

Immediately she felt their hands on her, grabbing her and settling her on the couch.

"Sakura!" cried Sasuke, eyes wide.

"Sakura, you're pale, are you alright? Did your blood pressure drop?" Itachi reached for her face and stared into her eyes before checking her pulse.

She pushed them away, shaking her head. "Just a long day. I'm okay."

"Go to bed. We'll get your water," said Sasuke, watching her carefully. He had not let go of her shoulder yet.

"And vitamins," said Itachi. His brows were drawn down together into a furrow.

"I'm fine. I'm going to shower, and then hit the hay. It's been a busy day, that's all," she said, starting to rise only to feel resistance.

Sasuke's chest was heaving, his expression warring with his emotions. Coming to a decision he released her shoulder before leaning forward and sweeping her up in his arms.

"Itachi, could you bring a glass of water to the guest bathroom? And a multivitamin?" asked Sasuke after a moment. "We're running you a bath," he said to Sakura, who gaped at him.

"I can shower just fine—"

"No, you risk falling," said Itachi.

To Sakura's surprise, he nodded at his younger brother. "I will bring them in a moment. You run the bath."

Their eyes met a moment before they each moved to their own tasks.

Sakura was flabbergasted.

"You guys, I'm fine," she insisted. "I just had a dizzy spell."

Ignoring her protests, Sasuke brought her to the bathroom opposite Itachi's room.

Oh, this was taunting the fates; she recognized the radio in the shower stall as the one from the last summer, when Itachi had…

She swallowed, turning away. Her emotions were confusing her.

"I'm good," she said, moving her legs a bit to show Sasuke she was ready to try standing again.

He held firm to her and knelt down by the edge of the bathtub, turning on the water. He rested her against his knees and reached out, flipping through the different bottles at the side of the tub. Then he chose the one she often used when she had stayed over, before.

_Before_.

She sighed and attempted to cross her arms. "Oy, no peeking," she teased, trying to lighten his mood.

"Hn."

"I'm fine. Really. I just got a little dizzy. It's late, it happens."

"Hn."

Sakura rolled her eyes as the tub filled. Sasuke held her close through it all.

"Here is the water," said Itachi, knocking on the door and letting himself in. "And vitamins. And some sliced fruit."

Sakura's cheeks burned.

"I'm fine!"

"You're not getting out of us looking after you," said Sasuke.

"I'm not bathing with both of you in the room with me," she said, jaw clenched.

Sasuke and Itachi looked at each other a moment, before Sasuke stood, gently setting Sakura down on the edge of the tub.

"We're going to wait right outside the door. The minute you're done, call for us."

She arched a brow at them. "I can take a bath on my own—"

"Sakura," said Itachi with a warning tone.

She glared at them and pointed to the door. "Get out."

"Right on the other side," promised Sasuke.

"Get. Out."

They finally left her in peace. She closed her eyes and let out a yawn—only for them to pop open when she heard the door creak.

"I was yawning! I'm fine!"

The door closed again.

Oh for the love of… She'd thought it was bad when they were competitively dancing to get her attention (and one-up each other). Now they were competitively _caring _to get her attention (and one-up each other).

What was the world coming to?

Giving the door one last warning look, she undressed and slid into the bath. It was perfect.

With a happy sigh she let her head dip under the water a moment to rise her hair before she surfaced and leaned back against the edge.

_At least they were working together, for a few minutes,_ she mused. That was something.

* * *

The rest of the holiday break passed in a similar fashion. Sometimes she, Sasuke and Naruto would spend time together (if Naruto took a break from visiting Hinata to come back to the Uchiha residence), with Itachi and occasionally Shisui. At other times, she and Itachi would slip away to talk in the cabin. Sasuke gave her space, though at the end of each evening as they headed for bed, he brushed his hand against hers and left his door open at night in clear invitation.

The fact Sasuke didn't even try to hide his invitations from Itachi made Sakura smile, in a way, at how much more confident he had become, not only in himself, but in the safety and comfort he took in their relationship. He wasn't pushing. He wasn't demanding her attention. He was letting her know he was waiting. And that was fine. He would occasionally steal her away to talk in his room, and had let her know his intentions. But since that night together, he had not lost his temper, lost control of his emotions, or intimidated her in any way. He had become his old self again, yet with more confidence and purpose. She was proud of him, and told him. The look in his eyes when she'd praised him for that… It made her swallow, but he'd held himself back.

To her surprise, her heart had hitched and beat a bit quicker for a moment in happiness.

She also noted the way he and his brother interacted. While wary of each other when they had initially interacted upon Sasuke's return to Konoha, now they were… Hmm. Sakura tried to put her finger on it. Not quite friendly, but respectful of each other? Was that it? She knew Itachi was watching Sasuke, and was concerned for him, but he did not let up on his little brother if he thought Sasuke's behaviour was out of line (which, around Naruto, happened on occasion). And by that same token, she knew Sasuke was keeping an eye on his older brother; yet he treated his brother with less awe and reverence than he used to, and more like a regular person. Sakura noted the surprise in Itachi's eyes when Sasuke challenged him on something instead of blindly accepting it; she saw the approval in Itachi's eyes when Sasuke calmly interjected or added valuable commentary to their conversations, now backing it up with his experience in business with clients in Oto. Itachi was watching Sasuke mature and grow up, too.

Finally treating each other like not only brothers again, but adults.

They were out for a walk, all of them, at Mikoto's insistence after lunch the day before Sasuke was to return to Oto. Normally Fugaku and Mikoto walked ahead of them, but this time Fugaku had called the boys up to the front while Mikoto meandered to the back to walk with Sakura. Sakura's parents had begged off, claiming a desire to rest while the rest of them got some exercise. They hadn't been very forthcoming when she'd asked the details of their accident, and someone always changed the subject when she brought it up, but hopefully she'd hear from them soon. She was assuming it was a car accident, and they were embarrassed. But things like that happened.

Girding her mental loins, Sakura smiled at Mikoto as they trundled through the snow.

"We're very fortunate," said Mikoto. Her warm breath frosted ahead of them in the cool air.

"Hmmm," agreed Sakura.

"Fortunate that they can at least agree to behave, and temporarily share what time they have together, in order to make us all happy."

Sakura swallowed at Mikoto's words.

"Sasuke spoke to your parents the other afternoon, while you and Itachi did your usual disappearing act. Did he tell you?"

Butterflies took flight in Sakura's stomach, and she shook her head, unsure of what Mikoto was getting at.

"Hn. Perhaps he's waiting, then," she murmured to herself. She gave Sakura a small smile. "How are you doing, dear? It's been an eventful break from school."

"Fine. I'm very grateful you let me and my family stay with you. Let me know what I can do to repay you. I really mean it," she said, looking over at Mikoto.

"Hn," Mikoto said, drawing the sound out. She had an odd look on her face.

They meandered on for a bit before Itachi and Sasuke broke from their father, and Mikoto moved ahead to join Fugaku. For a minute or so, Itachi and Sasuke walked side by side ahead of Sakura, and she realized how tall they were, how much they resembled each other now… and the differences, too, from how broad Itachi's shoulders were, yet how slight his frame, compared to Sasuke who wore a more muscled frame.

Their gait and postures were similar, yet Itachi's still bore evidence of the faintest limp, while Sasuke's was more at ease than it had been in the summer.

_Coming into their own,_ Inner Sakura remarked. Outer Sakura agreed.

* * *

_**December 30**_

Sasuke looked at his laptop and frowned.

Closing the top, he patted the pocket of his shirt; still there, he thought, immediately relieved.

Closing down his laptop, he considered his options before opening his suitcase and repacking the last of his things. Then he went to find Sakura.

* * *

Sakura was sitting with her parents in the tv room when Sasuke found her.

"Hey, got a minute?" he asked, nodding to her parents and asking how they were doing.

"It's fine, darling," said her father, patting her hand and nodding to Sasuke. "We'll be here when you get back."

She smiled at them and followed Sasuke, back to what she thought would be his room, but turned into a small game of follow-the-leader as he led her further into the more 'public' areas of the house. These were the rooms decorated for more formal occasions, with lavish carpets or marble-tiled floors, textured walls and wainscotting, antique furniture and various delicate odds and ends for decorations; areas intended for society events and gatherings. Sakura recognized them from her childhood visits to the Uchiha manse, but it had been some time since she'd viewed them herself.

"I would have packed snacks if I'd known we were travelling into the wilds of your house," she joked as they passed through yet another pristine sitting room.

"Hn," said Sasuke, before taking her hand and pulling her in behind him. He shut the door quietly and Sakura looked around, marvelling at the enchanting room. It had to be the most beautiful study she had ever visited, with old books along one wall, and a wide bay window that overlooked the gardens. The furniture was less antique-styled, rather more modern and built for comfort but with a gentle civility to it that helped it fit in with the rest of the decor in this wing of the enormous house.

Facing her now, Sasuke fidgeted with his shirt before ushering Sakura to the nicest, most comfortable chair in the room.

"Sasuke?" she asked, as he nodded to himself two, then three separate times.

"I know you and… Itachi are starting something," he began.

Sakura nodded.

"And I know that I messed up… us…"

She nodded again. "Yes, we talked about that. Things are okay, though. We're all okay," she repeated.

He gave her a look. "I'm not going to fall apart, Sakura."

She smirked. "That's a relief. I'm wearing a white shirt," she teased.

He huffed before walking closer and kneeling in front of her. He clasped her hands in one of his.

And with the other he took out the velvet box.

Sakura swallowed convulsively.

Sasuke held on to her tighter. "Relax," he said. "It's not the right size for a ring."

"I swear to the gods you are going to give me heart failure one of these days," she snapped, and debated kicking him in the shins.

"In a good way, possibly," he said. "But for now, I just need you to listen. Please."

She glowered at him a moment before nodding.

"Hn." He took a breath and squeezed her hands for a heartbeat. "I leave this afternoon. I want you to come visit me. I have given you the means to visit me, and I want to give you the motivation to visit me." Setting her hands down on his knee, he opened the box in front of her to show her the pendant. A small uchiwa fan dangled from its beautiful chain, the ruby and diamond emblem glittering in the fading afternoon sunlight.

"Sasuke, I can't, that's a family heirloom," said Sakura, shaking her head.

"It is mine to do with as I please." He lifted it up and gestured for her to lean forward. "Seeing you wear it pleases me." He paused. "It will also… please… my brother, if you accept it."

Feeling very conflicted, Sakura looked down at the pendant he had attached around her neck. Against her white shirt, it stood out… beautifully.

"Hn."

"Sasuke, I think this is sending out a contradictory message," murmured Sakura. "And as gorgeous as this is, I don't think I'm comfortable with it."

Sasuke shook his head. "No, this will make it very clear."

Inhaling and gathering her patience—for when Sasuke was cryptic, he was a reticent bastard, too—Sakura opened her mouth, only for Sasuke to interrupt her. He took her hand and brought it around the pendant. He kept surprising her during this holiday, with his openness.

"It will show others you are part of the Clan, and fall under Clan protection. It will be recognized by every member of the police and grant you protection and immunization, to a certain degree. It will be recognized for currency, should you find yourself separated from your possessions or in need of emergency financial assistance." He paused, swallowing. "It shows that you have been chosen to lead the Clan as our next matriarch, as… both Itachi and I have claimed you."

Sakura's blood ran cold.

"What have you done," she whispered.

"We did it to protect you," he repeated.

"Your mother told me yesterday that you'd spoken to my parents. Was this why?"

"Your parents are very worried about you. We thought this would relieve them. They have given their conditional approval."

"Conditional?"

Sasuke looked away.

"I want you to come visit me," he said, lowering his voice. He withdrew the box and returned it to his pocket; then he reached for the pendant once more and held it in his hands, warming it against his skin. "It would mean a lot. And I want to know that you will be safe, even if I can't be beside you for a while."

"A while?" Sakura looked at him, willing him to meet her eyes. "And conditionally? What does that mean?"

But he remained stubbornly fixed on the pendant.

"Itachi has been in Konoha continuously for a full year, now; he has been accepting his duties and responsibilities to the Clan. He has been raising the prestige and reputation of the Clan with everything he has done, academically and professionally. It is time for me to do my part," said Sasuke. His lips twitched. "I wish I could have stayed longer to see you wear this," he said, running his thumb over the rubies and diamonds. "It looks… right."

He lifted his eyes to hers then, and she saw his hard expression softening towards her.

"Promise me you will keep this on," he said.

"But I'm not—"

"Promise," he insisted.

Her shoulders falling, Sakura reached forward and picked up the pendant he had placed around her throat, admiring it.

"I promise I will wear it until I next see you," she said, not sure if she was making the right decision or not.

But it was enough for Sasuke, as he nodded and clasped their hands together again.

"Thank you," he breathed, leaning forward until their foreheads touched.

* * *

That afternoon, an odd sense of déjà vu settled over Sasuke as he said his goodbyes to his family, and Sakura, at the airport security gate.

Yet, while his brother stood at Sakura's side, he felt a sense of relief along with his jealousy, bitterness and mistrust. Itachi could, and would, protect her with his life. Which meant that while Itachi was doing that, Sasuke could focus on doing what Itachi had already achieved; success and independence.

Still wearing her pendant, Sakura watched him with warmth and pride. The feeling that gave him was incredible. Not the romantic or lustful love he had craved from her before; though he would have liked to have seen some of that mixed in, he admitted to himself. But leagues better than how they had parted in August. Knowing that while he didn't have a romantic place in her heart, he still maintained a prominent place there as her first love and one of her closest, best friends, reassured him that he would never be placed entirely to the side.

And he had to admit, if he was going to be up against anyone, it was good to know he would be challenging his brother, of all people. For Itachi would never willfully harm Sakura to get to him.

That left Sasuke plenty of other areas to take advantage of to get her back, once he was in a stronger position. Stronger than he had been; stronger than any of their peers; stronger than Itachi.

For his goal wasn't just to outdo his brother to win Sakura's affection back. Now, his goal was to outdo his brother entirely. He would be recognized as not just 'Itachi's brother'; he wanted others to look at them and say, Itachi was _his _brother. Once Sakura saw that, he surmised, she would come back to him.

It was just a matter of time. Time he would spend focused in Oto under Orochimaru and his leadership team; while she focused on furthering her studies and building her own reputation.

Stepping forward, Sasuke reached a hand out to his brother. To his surprise, Itachi shook his head at him and, taking his hand, yanked him forward into a hug.

"Don't make her worry about you," Itachi whispered into Sasuke's ear. Words Sasuke automatically translated into, "_Take care of yourself, little brother."_ Sasuke let himself smile, just a bit, before he returned his brother's hug. He refused to acknowledge how much pressure was relieved from his heart and shoulders in the gesture. "Focus on yourself."

"I will," promised Sasuke. "Take care of her. For me," he added after a moment, smirking at Itachi.

"She'll be the strongest woman you'll ever meet. And the most treasured," said Itachi, patting his brother on the back and pulling away.

"She better be," snarked Sasuke, and squeezed his brother's shoulder as he let go. He looked into his brother's eyes, speaking to him without words; _you promised me. Outside the bathroom that night, you promised me._

Itachi nodded. _I did. I will. _

Then, to Sasuke's surprise, he felt a quick poke between his eyebrows; and Itachi's gentle smile was so brief as to be ephemeral, but it was there. Sasuke hadn't seen him move; yet his brother had definitely done it.

Sasuke cleared his throat as he turned away, forcing back the hint of warmth that lit his eyes.

Sasuke embraced his mother, and his father, before turning to Sakura, her eyes fresh if slightly red, her smile warm if tremulous. His heart kicked over at seeing her trying so hard to give him a bright send off.

"Come here," he sighed, opening his arms to her. She wrapped hers around him, pulling him close and not letting go. Everything inside Sasuke calmed in that moment; every tension, every conflict, every piece of internal noise and confusion. Like a magic spell cast upon him, he felt himself relax and warm and let out a long, low exhale of relief.

_Home_, he breathed, and looked down at Sakura when she chuckled.

"You said that aloud," she said.

"It's true," he said, voice low, the tips of his ears pinking even as he tried to play it off with confidence. Sakura knew him too well, though, and he tightened his hold on her when she chuckled.

"Nothing wrong with that," sighed Sakura, gripping him harder and burying her face into his shoulder. "Promise me you'll be safe," she whispered.

"I'm hardly fighting in a…" He felt her tense against him and reconsidered his answer. "Promise," he said softly, pulling away to provide just enough room to tip their foreheads together. His hand released her and tapped her forehead. "You need to stay safe, too. No making me worry," he said, repeating Itachi's words.

She smiled at him and shook her head, before reaching down her front and pulling up the pendant to show him. "Got my Get Out of Trouble Free card right here. No ritual mayhem planned."

"No Ino mayhem, either," he said evenly.

It probably should have worried him when her eyes danced and her smirk appeared, but he held back his comment. Instead he sighed, and swept in to kiss her lips, tracing their seam with lightning speed before pulling away, satisfied with her blush and temper blooming.

"Visit me," he breathed into her ear as he pulled back. "So you can get me back."

At her indignant gasp, he turned away and passed through the security gates, already holding his boarding pass out for the agent.

"Damnit, Sasuke, I'm totally getting you back!" called Sakura, while Fugaku and Mikoto chuckled.

"Looking forward to it," drawled Sasuke from the other side of the gate. And with a wink at Sakura he disappeared behind the screen.

For her part, Sakura shook her head and pressed her lips together, still feeling the warmth and thrill of Sasuke's lips pressed against hers. Hard as it was to admit,he still felt like home to her, too. Comfort and belonging and peace. Which was why it both stung and warmed her at his goodbye. But this was a better ending than their last, and she would be grateful for that.

She felt Itachi at her side, warm and steady, his hand reaching down for hers; clasping their fingers together.

"You did well," he said.

"So did you," she sighed, taking a deeper breath to clear the excess emotion from her voice. "He's still a sneak, though," she muttered.

Itachi chuckled under his breath. "Only because he knew he could get away with it." He squeezed her hand. "Coffee?"

Looking up at him, Sakura smiled and arched a brow. "Are you asking me out on a date, Itachi?"

His eyes shone. "I think it is high time, don't you?"

Biting her lip, Sakura nodded. "I think I'd be up for that. Once Sasuke's plane leaves," she said. Itachi nodded.

"Let's see if we can find a viewing area that gives us a shot at his departure lounge," said Itachi, pulling her with him. He nodded goodbye to his parents and informed them they would make their own way home. They had come in multiple cars to the airport, with so many adults and all Sasuke's luggage.

* * *

In the departure lounge, Sasuke heard the PA announcement declaring first class passengers were free to board, and moved to the line-up. Sasuke accepted his boarding pass back from the flight attendant-agent, his brows drawing together at the folded paper the attendant had included in it for him.

"What's this?"

"Someone came by and left it for you earlier, and said it was a good luck message to be delivered to you right before the flight. Please continue, sir, we have more passengers waiting," said the attendant, full of professional smiles and courtesy.

Eyes flicking over the paper and the line-up behind him, Sasuke moved to the side and opened the paper.

"_Every step you make, every breath you take, I'll be watching… her,"_ Sasuke read. " '_M' "_

Snapping his eyes up, Sasuke analyzed every inch of the departure lounge. Not there. He looked at the other attendants. Not there. He looked up, up, and to his surprise saw Sakura and Itachi looking down at him fondly from a viewing mezzanine, behind glass partition walls. Sakura waved frantically, her smile widening as their eyes met. She put her hands together and made the shape of a heart, to which Itachi shook his head, though he continued smiling. They had waited for him, he realized. The whole time, they had been watching over him.

_Stay focused_, he commanded himself, and ripped his eyes away from them, now searching the viewing mezzanine. Somewhere. He had to be somewhere. That asshole would have wanted to see his reaction, he knew it. Where was—

_There._

The spiky hair, the knowing smirk, the insanity behind the dark eyes.

He was standing barely yards away from Sakura.

In front of him he held a sign that made Sasuke's blood boil.

"_Mine!" _it read, with a cutesy heart.

And an arrow, pointed straight at Sakura.

Sasuke's eyes flew back to Itachi's, widening. He felt his breath shortening to pants as he tried to point to Madara. It took Itachi a moment, and Sakura was looking at him as if he'd suddenly grown two heads, lifting her hands up in a, 'What are you trying to say?'-way. But then Itachi's posture straightened when he looked around and caught sight of Madara.

He lunged at Madara, only to come up against another glass pane of partition wall, separating their viewing rooms. Sakura turned then, surprised by Itachi's sudden movement.

His heart in his throat, Sasuke stood rooted to the spot, watching it all. From where he stood on the ground level, he couldn't hear a thing; but he saw his brother banging on the glass, saw the security personnel closing in… not on Madara, but on Itachi.

Yelling, Sasuke realized. Itachi was yelling. He had pulled Sakura, who was now trembling visibly, behind him, and he was yelling, at Madara, at the security team, at anyone who would listen.

And from his own viewing lounge, Madara stood and watched.

And laughed.

Then the glass under Itachi's fist began to crack.

_Holy gods,_ Sasuke thought. He knew his brother was strong, but that was plexiglass. It was bulletproof. And a small crack appeared, then a much larger one spreading out as Itachi hit it again. And again.

Sakura had grabbed Itachi's waist and was saying something to him. Around Sasuke, other passengers heard the muffled thumping and had turned to stare at the scene. Murmuring spread through the crowds of holiday travellers, and Sasuke tuned them out as he tried to read his brother's lips, but they were too far away.

But he saw Madara calming and gaze at Sakura, lifting a hand to the glass as if trying to touch her through the divide. With his other hand he lifted something up to show her.

Sasuke squinted before he felt his fists clench at his sides.

Her mother's necklace.

Sasuke could barely make it out, but he saw Sakura's reaction.

The change from fear to understanding to anger, where she, too, began pounding on the glass; and it weakened further, spiderweb cracks sprouting in all directions.

Sakura went wild as she scraped her nails down the glass partition, and Sasuke's breath caught when he saw the first streaks of blood smear down, streaking the glass.

The security team had grabbed both Sakura and Itachi, and Sasuke watched as a team approached Madara from his partitioned room… before Madara blew a kiss at Sakura and faded into the crowds milling around in the corridor behind it. The security team sent to his side arrived to an empty room, until they looked down, where the glass partition met the floor. A brown envelope had been left behind.

Sakura, now being dragged away from the cracking window by several security guards, was screaming. Itachi had turned and was being separated from her.

"Sir… Sir, I need you to move onto the plane… Mr Uchiha…" The voice filtered into Sasuke's awareness as he watched the awful scene unfold above him.

Planned. Madara had planned this.

"Mr Uchiha, for the safety of the other passengers, I need you to move onto the plane, or forfeit your ticket," snapped the attendant.

It was a test, Sasuke realized. Madara wanted to see how they'd react.

But why now?

And what was in the envelope?

The security team on Madara's side had opened it up… and Sasuke watched as one man twisted away to a corner, heaving up his lunch, while another paled and raised a hand to his mouth. The woman holding the envelope stood still before closing it up and picking up her walkie-talkie. Her hands were shaking.

"Mr Uchiha, for the last time, are you boarding the plane?"

Sasuke watched Itachi break away from the security team and grab Sakura from the second security team, holding her to him as she shook and screamed.

But Itachi kept them all at bay, now, and was escorting Sakura away from them all, cradling her against him.

He would protect her.

Sasuke swallowed.

"I'm going," he said, voice thick as he watched his brother sweep Sakura up in his arms and clear the area. "I'm boarding," he clarified, and turned away as Itachi and Sakura disappeared around a corner. Itachi would have Shisui on the phone in no time. They would look after her.

"_Last boarding call for flight 551 to Oto. I repeat, last boarding call for flight 551 to Oto."_

Around him, the gathering crowds still murmured to each other about the strange scene, but they had turned to the flight attendant and boarded. The last one passed him, and Sasuke turned one last time to check the observation deck. They were gone.

His phone buzzed as he took his seat on the plane, buckled in, and he quickly checked it as the pre-take-off movie showed up on the mini screens on the back of the headrest of the seat ahead of him. The plane itself was taxying down the runway, and Sasuke knew he was supposed to turn off his phone, but...

_Accept incoming multimedia message?_

Sasuke clicked yes.

There was a picture of Sakura and Itachi, in Itachi's car; Sakura's smile shaky, her eyes fierce, her knuckles bloody. And beneath it, the caption read, "I'll get that bastard next time."

His phone buzzed again, and Sasuke accepted another media message.

It was a photo of Itachi, hair mussed, Sakura's fingers making bunny ears behind him. The caption read, "We're okay. Relax. Take care of yourself."

Not that Sasuke was relaxing, but… he felt calmer, seeing the photos and messages.

He let himself calm, and almost smiled when his phone buzzed in his hand again. Automatically accepting the message, he didn't pay any attention to the sender.

Which was how he came to find a picture of Sakura, naked in her shower at her apartment, covered in bruises and some stitches, popping up on his phone screen.

She was crying.

The hospital, he realized. The kidnappers. She'd been hurt, but he hadn't realized it had been this bad.

She had been crying?

"_You left her like this," _read the caption. "_Good thing I'm here to pick up the pieces. - M"_

Bile rising in his throat, Sasuke nearly dropped his phone.

It beeped again; unfortunately this time the flight steward was passing and screeched to a halt. "You can't have your phone on at this time, sir! I'm seizing this immediately, for the safety of our passengers!"

Reality slammed into Sasuke. "No," he said, "You can't, that needs to go to the pol—"

"Sit down, or we will take immediate restraining action, sir."

Rage filled Sasuke, deep and full, and the reins slipped through his fingers as he scrabbled to grab hold of them.

"Give me that phone back, now. This is a matter of national security," he commanded.

"Your national security doesn't outrank the safety of the passengers on this flight."

Sasuke bared his teeth. "You obviously don't know how you're talking to," he seethed, and unbuckled his belt. "Now give it back to me, now."

The plane tilted for take-off, and Sasuke's fingers dug into the seat to maintain his balance.

The flight attendant's eyes went wide as he lost his balance.

Seizing the moment, Sasuke snatched the phone back and turned it off. He shoved it in his pocket and took his seat again.

"I'll be taking up your behaviour with airline security," sneered the steward.

"The police will be talking to you upon touchdown for obstructing and ongoing murder investigation," said Sasuke. "As will the president of the airline. Consider yourself dismissed," he said. turning away to look at the window as the plane banked upon reaching altitude.

Sasuke wasn't surprised when he received his supper cold. Someone in first class receiving a cold meal? It was nothing but deliberate.

Or that the steward had been stupid enough to spit in it. Really, did the steward think no one tested these things?

But Sasuke had more important things to do. The moment it was safe Sasuke sent forwarded the message to his father, along with a brief rundown of what had happened at the airport.

When he received a reply, he finally let his head lie back against his head rest.

He closed his eyes for a moment, to breathe in and breathe out, when he felt something jar his arm.

It was the steward again.

"Just so you know, I reported you for endangering the passengers and crew of this aircraft, Mister _Uchiha_," he sneered.

Sasuke looked at him, memorizing his features.

"If you had any intelligence at all, you'd know it was the FCC, not the FAA who banned mobile phone use on planes, and it wasn't because it interfered with the plane's instruments but rather because it causes jamming in cellphone towers when passenger phones connect to multiple towers at once. In many European passenger airlines are allowed to make calls during flights," said Sasuke, speaking slowly to ensure the message came across loud and clear.

The steward blinked at him.

Sasuke smirked. "And you're still fired. In case you missed it the first time, my family owns this airline. And you've been out of a job for the last hour." Sasuke leaned back in his seat again. "Good luck making it home."

It felt good to be an asshole sometimes, Sasuke thought.

* * *

That night at the hospital, Shisui patted the radiation tech on the back and slipped her a pair of hundred dollar bills. "Thanks for coming in on such short notice. Sorry about this," he said.

"It was nice to have willing adults instead of reticent ones," laughed the tech, accepting the 'tip' for the half hour of unofficial overtime. "Need anything else?"

"No worries," he said. "Need a ride?"

"I'm good. Have a good night. I hope they feel better soon, and that that poor dog's okay, too."

Shisui smiled. "They're stubborn. They'll be fine."

With that he bid her farewell and went to join Itachi and Sakura in his office, copies of their x-rays in hand.

With a heavy sigh he tossed the images on his desk and flipped his laptop around so he could pull them up on screen.

"You, both," he began in dire tones, pointing to their side-by-side shots, "are extremely fortunate. You have hairline fractures but no actual broken bones. But it's going to feel like you do, for some time." He flopped down into his chair, and gave them a look. "Do I need to spell out how stupid you were? Both of you? _Together?!"_

Sakura shrank in her seat a bit while Itachi watched Shisui with a bland expression.

"Itachi, you need to stop," sighed Shisui, rubbing at his face. "You aren't immortal. You know you have some very temperamental damage already to your arms and torso."

Sakura looked over at him at this, and Shisui continued on.

"You need to protect yourself if you're going to engage in this type of thing. Fighting, of any kind for you, is going to lead to just as much damage to yourself, going forward, as it is to your opponent. Defenceless plexiglass, in this case," snorted Shisui under his breath.

"And you, Sakura," said Shisui. "You do know better! You're training to become a doctor—your hands will be everything to you, regardless of where you work or what you specialize in. If you want to become a healer, you need to start wrapping your fists when you fight or spar." Shisui shook his head. "The next time you two see a pet that is locked up in a controlled area, losing its mind, call the animal shelter. They are used to have to rescue animals in difficult situations, is that clear?"

Biting her lip, Sakura nodded.

Shisui held both their gazes for a moment before he sighed. "And for pete's sake, come up with better lies, next time. That 'endangered pet' may fly for a tech who sees you for less than an hour, but I know you both." His shoulders drooped. "Is Sasuke okay? This was his day to fly back, right? Sorry, I wanted to come but I was on call, and got pulled in."

"He left safely," said Sakura, quiet.

Shisui watched her a moment before flicking his eyes at Itachi, then back again. "Everything okay?" he asked carefully.

Sakura smiled. "We're all good."

Shisui looked at Itachi and arched a brow.

"Things are fine, Shisui."

"You're lying to me, 'tachi," he said, his good humour shaking. "I don't like it when you lie to me."

"Shisui, it's…"

Shisui raised a finger as Sakura objected. His eyes remained on those of his cousin.

"Remember that talk we had a while back, Itachi. There are things I won't do," reminded Shisui. "People rely on me, and I made an oath to protect others."

"So did I," said Itachi.

Sakura looked between them.

"I'm not lying to the police, if they come asking questions," said Shisui.

"They won't," said Itachi.

"That includes your father," said Shisui.

"He won't," said Sakura, voice quiet.

"You can't promise something like that, Sakura," sighed Shisui, but Sakura was shaking her head.

"It wasn't a fight, not like you're thinking," said Sakura.

"Sakura," said Itachi, but Sakura frowned at him.

"Madara was at the airport today," she said, staring hard at Shisui. She swallowed. "We're all okay, now, thank you." She lifted her bandaged hand. "But it was a little tense. I lost my temper. Itachi helped me out. No one was hurt." She glanced at her hands and Itachi's arms. "Well, just some scratches."

Shisui stilled.

Itachi closed his eyes a moment, confusing Sakura until she saw Shisui's eyes open wide and he leapt out of his chair and began shouting.

"Of all the assbat idiot things to do—!" Shisui began his tirade.

And Sakura heard Itachi sigh, realising this was why he had lied to his cousin.

_Oops_.

* * *

_**December 31 - New Years Eve**_

The chill didn't bother the well-built, half-naked man in his bedroom at his apartment. In his comfortable cargo-pocketed trousers, still missing their belt and thus hanging slightly off his jutting hip bones, Itachi looked between the two shirts held aloft in front of him. It shouldn't be such a difficult task. But suddenly the choice between black or white seemed to take on weighted new meaning.

Which would Sakura prefer?

His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked to the side and noticed his blue shirt and grey shirt had been returned from the dry cleaners. No. Stay focused. Colours can be risked next time (hopefully).

Back to the black-or-white dilemma.

His left arm began reaching further forward to return one shirt, achingly slowly, as the other arm, still bandaged, pulled the other shirt closer—when his cell phone rang.

Dropping his arms (and the shirts), Itachi grabbed his phone and set it to speakerphone. Then he went back to critically assessing his wardrobe. Luckily he'd finished blow-drying his hair and it was behaving better than usual. He couldn't wait for Sakura to run her hands through it.

"Itachi speaking," he answered.

"Pein here."

"Hn." _Probably the black. Now… Tie? Or no tie? Too formal? Too candid? _

"The new kid didn't work out; Hidan caught him stealing."

"Was there anything left of him to prosecute?" No tie.

Pein grunted softly. "Enough. But it has left us short-handed."

"I updated the casual list for you last month." Itachi's abdomen flexed as he lifted his arms through his undershirt and pulled it over his head. Freshly shaven, he'd already applied his aftershave lotion and the barest hint of cologne. He wasn't an admirer of strong scents and much preferred more natural aromas; the faint herbal-citrus scent he wore was hardly noticeable unless one was within intimate distance.

"It is holiday season. None of them are answering their phones, undisciplined wretches. You would think they would be eager to prove themselves. We pay the best rates in the city."

"Hn." Itachi slipped the black shirt off its hanger and put it on, doing up the many small, tight buttons on the front. Hn. He'd regained most of his lost weight, and seemed to have a bit more definition, too, since his recovery. He smirked to himself. He was now very pleased he'd chosen the black.

Pein sighed. "Are you going to make me ask outright? That's poor manners."

Itachi leaned towards his mirror and checked his hair; then pulled it back and tied it loosely with an elastic. "This is my evening off. Not only my evening off, but a night I specifically wrote in on the schedule that I was unavailable," he said to Pein, ignoring Pein's low exhale.

"Konan's trying to call in some of the newbies but they aren't fully trained yet. This is New Year's Eve. We can't have total newbs manning the bar on a weekend night on their own; even less so on a holiday night," said Pein.

"Ask Deidara, or Hidan. I am not available this evening," said Itachi, taking his phone with him to his ensuite bathroom. He had brushed his teeth, but…

He was already swishing mouthwash before he finished the thought.

"Deidara would get too flustered and give free drinks to anything with tits; Hidan would bankrupt us by drinking us blind."

"Hn." He spit the mouthwash into the sink before giving himself one last check over. Then he reached for his chapstick. It won't hurt.

"I will pay you double."

"Hn."

"Triple."

"Hn." Itachi glanced at his clock; he had about half an hour left before he would meet Sakura. He needed to be on the road soon.

"Itachi, I need you to not be a bastard right now."

"Hn."

"It isn't as if you have plans, prick. It's New Year's Eve."

Itachi's eyes narrowed as he glared at his phone. He picked it up and turned off the speakerphone.

"In fact I do have plans. And I am on my way out to collect someone very important to me, right now," said Itachi, his voice deadly soft. "This is not up for negotiation."

"... Itachi? This is Konan. Why is my husband staring at the wall, gobsmacked?"

"His inherent ineptitude caught up with him."

"Did he ask you if you could come in tonight?"

"As I explained, I am unavailable."

She sighed. "Even just until 10:30pm? With the storm the last few days or so we aren't expecting the usual crowds. I'll be working the floor and bar tonight, and so will Pein."

Itachi grabbed his heavy wool cardigan, pulling it on for an extra layer of warmth from the biting cold.

"Hn."

And then Konan sighed again, more in resignation. "As you wish. Well. I guess I'll call Hidan to cut off his _Mangekyou _supply."

Itachi faltered as he slid his jacket on. He brought the phone back up to his ear again.

"No," he said.

"Yes," she countered. "All that blissful sleep, that miraculous recovery you've had from your migraines? Consider it as tangible as air, Uchiha. It's dangerous to have him dealing straight from _Akatsuki _property. I'm just looking out for our financial well-being. Oh, and your health. Naturally."

He let out a long, low, heavy breath. Had he been a dragon smoke would have billowed from his nostrils.

"By the way, house rules state full dress uniform tonight, formal. White shirt, black vest, and black sleeve garters. And don't forget a nice tie. Women love ties. The better to grab you with," said Konan, voice just distant enough to mask her smugness.

It was then that Itachi remembered one of his mother's quotes, from a black-and-white movie actress, Hermione Gingold. "_Fighting is essentially a masculine idea; a woman's weapon is her tongue."_

Konan was very skilled indeed. It made Itachi seethe as he struggled to get his temper under control. He relaxed his fingers so as not to crack his phone's case.

"I understand from Pein that you had plans this evening; please bring your guest with you. She is welcome to our hospitality, and I will guarantee you frequent breaks," promised Konan.

"Not enough," he said, voice tight.

"We'll work it out. You have an hour."

She hung up, leaving Itachi to lower his phone, hand clenching up again already. He restrained himself from whipping it at the wall, but not by much.

Letting out another heavy breath, he stalked back to his room, ripping his black shirt off, his hair tearing loose from his elastic, and kicking off his now-too-casual trousers.

* * *

Sakura checked her phone and glanced out the window for the enth time. She removed her jacket with a sigh and a kick of her boots to the rubber mat at the Uchihas' garage door, returning to her room. She looked down at the pendant she wore, running her thumb over it. Several minutes later she heard the roar of a finely tuned sportscar engine, followed by a slushy hard brake and a car door slam viciously. Her eyes narrowing slightly, she glanced at the window before hearing one of the exterior garage doors open.

Less than a minute later she heard a polite knock at her door.

"I apologize for being late," said Itachi as she opened the door to him. His hair was a bit less orderly than usual; his eyes a bit brighter, his cheeks a hint more coloured. He stood straight and calm, though Sakura saw his chest heaving faintly beneath his black coat. "Also, I hate to cancel on you last minute, but I have been called in to work at _Akatsuki _for the evening."

"Oh." Sakura glanced down at the ground and pressed her lips together before she gathered herself together again. "Well… another time? Sorry you drove all the way here. I'll just go see what I have for leftovers in the fridge. Or something." She forced a smile at him. "Work's work, right?

She saw his dark eyes flicker with some unknown emotion as his jaw clenched.

"Join me. Not to work, though if you're willing we could certainly use a pair of capable hands, but… I would appreciate your company this evening, Sakura," he said. "I will arrange a place for you to read, if you'd like to. I work until 10:30pm, and we can relax or work together thereafter. Please say yes."

Sakura flushed; she noticed she did so with alarming frequency around Itachi. She pulled her inky pashmina scarf higher to hide behind.

"If you'll show me what to do, I can help. Maybe we can take our breaks together?"

She saw his Adam's apple bob, and his colouring even out. He nodded.

"Thank you, Sakura." He gave her a small smile.

As they settled in his car, he pulled away with another squeal of tires. Then his expression turned serious. "Also," his voice garnered a strange quality to it. "Are you comfortable in lolita maid attire and garter belts?"

Sakura's eyes bulged as they peeled out of the Uchihas' family driveway.

* * *

As soon as they'd arrived at _Akatsuki_, Itachi rushed to the bar to help one of their new hires calm the lines of thirsty patrons. Unsurprisingly, the line-ups formed fairly quickly: the men went to the new woman, and the women went to Itachi… in droves.

Brow arched, Sakura couldn't help an amused smile. While Itachi tried to remain emotionless, she noticed that his movements were as abrupt as they were graceful, and that he listened only long enough to the women to fix their drinks and nod them away.

He was thorough, efficient, careful… and uninvolved, she realized. She had seen him work before; he was not overly social or extroverted, by any means, but tonight he'd pulled into himself far more than normal. He was limiting his eye contact to the bare minimum this evening, whereas before he may not have held much conversation but he at least paid attention to the requestor's body language. There were few words exchanged; he'd make brief eye contact to read the requestor's lips, and then immediately have his head down to mix, pour, shake or stir. And his back was too taut to be relaxed. _Poor man_, she thought, _he really didn't want to be here._

"Ah, you must be the lovely reason behind Itachi's reluctance to work this evening," said a low female voice from behind Sakura.

Turning, Sakura saw Konan-sensei and bowed in respect. Konan gave her a small smile. "No need for such formality tonight. Itachi mentioned you were here to read."

"Um, actually, with it being so busy, do you need a hand anywhere? Itachi said I could help out, if you still needed me."

Konan blinked once, slowly, before her small smile widened to a pleased grin.

"How do you feel about corsets and garters?" she asked, slipping her hand into Sakura's and pulling her towards the Employees Only door behind them.

Sakura's brows knit. "Itachi asked me the same thing on the way here…"

Konan's chuckle was low and promising.

* * *

Itachi focused on the drink he was mixing, forcing his errant thoughts into order. Through the smoke of his fantasies, the image of Sakura's excitement upon seeing him on her bedroom doorstep that evening rose to the fore.

He'd wanted to reach out and touch the softness of her scarf that night, when he'd arrived.

It had looked so warm and luxurious and fetching, and the way she'd blushed and hid herself down inside it had made him want to slide his hands into her hair and kiss her nose and cheeks. He'd had to clamp his arms at his sides to stop himself from doing just that, she had looked so adorable and lovely.

He tapped the drink onto the counter, palmed the cash into the till and set out the change in a single sweeping gesture. The patron left him a tip, which he tucked absently into his hip apron.

He wondered if the scarf was broad enough to double as a shawl; and then imagined it wrapped around Sakura's pale shoulders, and the way it would set off her creamy skin. Then, what it would feel like to run his hands from her silky hair to her smooth skin and across the downy scarf. His palms itched with the fantasy of holding her.

He set the next drink down.

"Time for your break," said Pein from beside him. Itachi nodded and passed behind Pein, heading for the Employees Only door.

Hopefully Sakura had managed to get some reading done, at least.

He was distracted from his musings as the Employees Only door burst open in front of him, and a lolita-clad young woman—her breasts raised by her cinched midnight satin corset, her derriere covered by elegantly layered white ruffles, and her hair piled atop her head in a cascade of curls—bustled past him, a tray of strawberry-adorned, champagne-based drinks in each black-gloved hand.

"Oops, excuse me, sorry—Itachi?"

"Oh, Sakura, it's your break. Let me take those for you," said Konan, sliding between the pair to sweep the trays neatly off Sakura's hands. Konan turned away and gave Itachi the briefest of secret smiles. "Go grab something to drink; I'll get you again in about fifteen."

Itachi gave a strong thank you to the powers that be in that moment that he was not an overly emotionally expressive man. Because he never would have picked up his chin in time to stop Sakura realizing his reaction to her transformation.

"Are you on break, too?" Sakura asked him, leaning closer to speak over the music. Her breath smelled like cherries and mint.

He nodded and touched her back with his palm. "This way," he said, guiding her to the employee lounge.

Just as they turned away Konan winked at him. He ignored her.

* * *

"Did Konan do your…" His voice trailed off as he looked her over properly in the reasonably well-lit lounge.

"Everything?" asked Sakura, smiling at him. "Yes. I think she did a great job. With all the make-up, no one recognizes me." She bit her lip. "And… the tips are pretty good," she admitted. She gave a half-shrug. "It's fun."

Itachi nodded. "You look very different. I am glad you are enjoying yourself." He set his own glass of water down on the nearby coffee table. "I am still very sorry our original plans were interrupted."

Sakura leaned forward to match his posture, her elbows resting on her knees, her hands clasped. "We can still grab tea at that little spot on the way home; I've earned enough to cover both of us. It'll be my treat!"

"You aren't upset?"

Sakura shook her head. "We still get to do what we wanted; and this way we get to earn a bit of extra pocket money. Or, well, I do. It will help get me a few more coffees, and cover some incidentals." She shrugged. "And I mean it, I'm having a good time."

Itachi's head leaned to the side, a glint of interest in his eyes. "Would you like a casual position? Here at _Akatsuki_?"

"Oh, I probably couldn't commit to more than two nights a week and perhaps weekends," said Sakura, "if that."

Itachi picked up his water once more. "If that is all you want, let me know which nights work for you. I can request the same; that way I can give you a ride to work and back again when your shift ends."

Sakura lifted her hands, choking on her own glass of water. "You're already way too busy, Itachi, I couldn't possibly—"

Amused, Itachi leaned forward, smiling at Sakura and making an obvious study of her lips. "Would you be more open to the idea if I said it appealed to me very much to see you more often?"

Sakura's words ran right out of her brain.

Watching her carefully, moving slowly, Itachi clasped Sakura's slender fingers in his own warm, strong ones. "Because I really would," he eyed her lips avidly as she unconsciously licked their dryness. "Like to see more of you, Sakura."

He leaned towards her, catching her eye. "Would you be agreeable to that?"

Sakura swallowed. It was very warm and getting warmer. "To working here, or to seeing you more often?"

"Yes."

Unable to catch her breath, Sakura opened her mouth to reply—

The door behind her swung open without warning. "Hey bitches! Break time's over—ooooh, never mind, come on out when you're ready!" Hidan backed straight back out of the room and barricaded the door behind himself at the murderous look in Itachi's eyes. "Don't kill me!" he shouted from the opposite side of the door. "Konan set me up!"

Itachi was already pulling up to standing (to chase down Hidan) when Sakura reversed their hands, and took hold of his wrists. She pulled him down again.

"Yes," she said, biting her bottom lip and peeking up at him through her fluttering bangs.

Itachi stared at her.

"Yes. I'd like a part-time, maybe casual position. If _Akatsuki _is short-handed," she explained. Then took a deep breath, looking at him more intently. It was her turn to stare at his mouth and tempting lips. "And… yes, to seeing more of you, too," she added quietly, smiling at him.

"Sakura," he breathed, reaching up to touch her cheek.

"It is New Year's Eve," she murmured, lifting her chin.

They leaned towards each other, Sakura touching his shoulders as their knees bumped, lips breathed over lips, their eyes closed, and—

The knock at the door had Itachi cursing.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we really do need a hand out here," came Konan's voice.

Sakura looked at Itachi and shrugged.

"10:30pm, right?"

He nodded.

She grinned at him. "I guess I have more to look forward to than I expected."

With that she stood, ran her hand along Itachi's shoulder, and headed back out to the main club.

It took Itachi slightly longer to calm and adjust himself, but he returned to his position with renewed vigour.

A little bit over another hour to go.

* * *

The music pounded around him, and it took Itachi a moment to realize Pein had tapped him on the shoulder and stuck his thumb at the door.

With a grateful nod, Itachi rinsed out the cloth he'd been using to clean the counter and hung it on one of the rails below the nearest sink. As he sidled past Pein, who had manned the bar the entire night, he scanned the crowded dance floor.

"Looking for her?" Konan's voice spoke in his ear.

He gave her a look as she snuck past him to join Pein at the bar counter.

"She's over at the far side, running drinks. She'll be back any minute," said Konan, washing her hands at the sink.

Itachi nodded to her once, and stepped into the writhing throngs. A headache wheedled at the back of his mind, but he forced it back, just a bit longer. All he'd been able to think about was Sakura's promise that they could continue where they'd left off in the Employee lounge.

It was just as he caught sight of her curled, sexy hair that he heard the music change from the high-energy dance rhythm to a more low-key, jazzy, heavy beat.

"All right, with this being New Year's Eve, this one goes out to all the lovers. Hold 'em tight and let 'em know you care, ladies and gentlemen," called the DJ before he raised the volume again.

Which was when Sakura looked up and caught Itachi's eye; and smiled. She reached him quickly, and he realized he hadn't been able to stop staring at her.

"I love this song," she said, stepping closer. "Can we dance? My shift just ended."

His hands were already sliding around her hips, drawing her closer.

"Of course," he said, and after a moment he leaned down to rest his cheek against the top of her head. Sakura's hands wrapped nicely around his neck and gave him a quick squeeze.

"Konan is nice. She helped me, earlier, showing me how to get the hang of things."

"Hn. She likes you."

In his arms, he felt Sakura tense minutely before she spoke again. "She said I could keep the uniform."

He nodded, letting his chin scrape down the side of her curls as he inhaled. She smelled wonderful.

"Should I?"

"Hn," he agreed. While they swayed together to "Cherry Wine", he felt the tension melting from his bones, the peace seeping through his veins. And then he felt Sakura relaxing, too, and realised what she'd just said. And how he'd answered.

"Really?" Sakura smiled and looked up at him before pulling Itachi even closer and resting her head in the crook of his shoulder.

He swallowed. "It looks very nice."

"Konan had to show me how the garters worked."

Itachi stifled the low moan in his throat as best he could, but knew it wasn't entirely silent.

"You're being saucy, Sakura," he murmured against her ear.

He felt her laugh through their chests, and enjoyed the light squeeze she gave him. He nearly lost his step when he felt her fingertips playing with the loose ends of his hair.

"Is it working?" she asked, a bit shyly, glancing up at him from her loosened bangs.

His eyelids lowering to half-mast, Itachi's expression softened as he gave her a private, genuine smile.

"Yes," he said, lips brushing her ear.

He absorbed the happy noise she made in her throat, and felt his heart swell.

"Can we still get tea after this?"

"Hn."

* * *

Settled in on the ridiculously comfortable oversized and overstuffed seat, Itachi shook his head and watched Sakura approach with a small, numbered stand. She set it down on the table in front of the chair.

"They said it would be a few minutes," she explained. Then she straightened and looked down at him.

Expression neutral, he arched a brow and shifted to the side of the seat… about an inch.

Not bothering to hide her amused grin, Sakura shook her head and squished down into the seat beside him, smooshed between his side and the plush chair.

"Plenty of room," he said, putting an arm around her.

"I feel like I'm taking advantage of your lap," she said, laughing.

Itachi bit the side of his tongue to give himself time to reconsider the first response that flew inappropriately to mind at her comment. _("Not nearly enough.")_

Instead, he asked, "What did you decide on?"

"For me or for you?"

He gave her a look. "I said I only wanted a tea." She had insisted on paying, with her evening's tips. Which he hadn't realized were so plentiful until she'd held up the overstuffed wallet she had shoved into her purse.

"Hmmm…. was that what you said? I must have misheard you. I could have sworn you asked for a tray of the sweetest dango they had. That's what the owner said you usually had," she said, giving him a small smirk.

He brushed his hand down her shoulder and just looked at her.

"Will I have no secrets with you?"

"If you want them, you can have them; as long as you're happy, healthy, and whole," she said. "I'm… I'm still learning, Itachi," she admitted, looking down at her fingers for a moment. "You need to tell me if I'm prying too much or pushing too far into your personal space."

"Only if you do the same," he replied.

She gave him a guileless smile, and patted his shoulder. "You could never push too much, Itachi."

But the look in his eye darkened, becoming lustful, and the nature of his gentle caress on her shoulder and spine shifted ever so subtly to a sinful trail of his fingertips.

"You must do the same," he ordered softly.

Sakura's mouth opened slightly, and Itachi couldn't help but notice how her back arched, he guessed unconsciously, and her eyes darkened in response. With her hair relaxing from its pinned-up curls, her smoky eye-make-up so exotic and enchanting, and her utter comfort around him, Itachi felt himself stir in response to her honest reaction to his hints.

"Green tea, hot chocolate, dango and a slice of Black Forest gâteau?"

"Here, thank you," said Itachi, glancing up at the waitress and indicating the table before he and Sakura.

"Anything else?"

Itachi looked at Sakura, who shook her head.

"No."

The waitress smiled at them and collected the numbered stand. "Enjoy."

"You ordered tea?" he asked.

"You're okay that I ordered you hot chocolate?" she answered.

He gave her a curious look. "It seems you aren't the only one still learning."

"Good," she said simply, and then reached forward for the cake. "Would you like a bite? They brought extra forks."

Tightening his hold on her waist now, Itachi opened his mouth as Sakura lifted it to his lips, and held her eyes as he took it into his mouth, swallowed, then licked the fork clean.

"Mmm, sinful," he said, teasing her.

Sakura's cheeks flushed, her eyes bright.

"Y-you need a warning label," she said. Then immediately thrust more in his direction. "Another bite?"

"For me or you?" he asked, rubbing circles down her arm and side and back up again, delighting in her stammer.

"Um. I think I need a drink."

He eyed her tea.

"Maybe something a bit stronger," she said faintly, her eyes still on his lips. His tongue darted out to snatch a chocolate shaving that had tickled his lip.

He smirked. Then, more gracefully than any predator she'd ever seen, he pulled back and gave her more space.

"Enjoy your tea. Would you like some dango?"

She eyed it before nodding. "Just one."

And he took his time feeding her and watching her enjoy the treat.

For several hours they sat together, read, and discussed some of the material their work covered. But they did not move from their squished chair, they did not pull away from each other, and they did not notice when Sakura curled completely into Itachi's side. His arm swept her closer still, until the lights in the small café dimmed, and they realized it was close to two in the morning. They had completely missed the countdown in their private cocoon of conversation and delights.

"Time to get you home," said Sakura, rising and sliding from his lap to stand and stretch.

Itachi looked at her, amused.

"I believe we took my car tonight."

"Did you miss my Ferrari?"

"Which Ferrari?"

"The invisible one," clarified Sakura, grinning at him.

He chuckled, and stood slowly, taking time to move his slightly sore leg. He wasn't used to sitting still this long anymore and hadn't wanted to bother Sakura to get up so he could move around as his physiotherapist instructed. Already he missed the warmth of her pressed to his side.

Sakura noticed something, however, as her eyes narrowed on him. "I was leaning against your bad leg," she realized aloud. "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "It fell asleep," he lied.

She gave him a look he ignored, and with a thank-you to the café owner they exited into the chilly outdoors, hustling to Itachi's awaiting car, the engine already running.

"Automatic engine starter," he said at her curious glance, and she nodded.

"Neat."

"Hn."

As they drove, Sakura bit her lip and looked down at Itachi's hand as it rested on the gear shift.

Noting her repeated looks, he turned his hand palm up and reached for hers.

A pleased, relieved smile flickered across Sakura's face as she grasped his fingers, and they both relaxed into their seats during the short drive.

They pulled into the parking lot of Sakura's apartment building, and he noted her biting her lip. He opened his door and came to open hers and walk her to her door. Her parents had flown home earlier in the day, a flight an hour before Sasuke's. She was returning to the apartment to stay on her own again; her things had been dropped off there earlier by a pair of officers from the force.

"Sakura," he said, "Look at me. Why are you pulling away?"

Uncertainty prickling along her skin, Sakura turned to look at Itachi again.

"That person you liked for a long time. The one you mentioned being the first to join you in your room… and your bed…" She looked at the ground.

Warm hands lifted to cup her face as his gaze softened.

"You haven't figured it out?"

"Figured what out?"

He smiled at her, genuine, warm, adoring. He leaned forward until his breath fanned over her face, still smelling faintly of chocolate.

"You," he said quietly. "It was always you."

Her eyes widened and she blinked slowly before shaking her head.

"No. They said you'd liked this person for a long time, and… never…"

His thumb stroked her cheek, something sad and tender flashing in his eyes. "Never made a move," he murmured.

_Because of Sasuke,_ she realized.

Her mouth rounded in a silent 'oh'.

He simply looked at her, stroking her cheek, his focus on her eyes… and then her lips.

"May I kiss you goodnight to make it official?" he asked, his voice huskier than usual.

The warmth curling through Sakura was very much in favour of this idea, but couldn't quite communicate it to her brain.

Nerves thrilling as he leaned in, Sakura found the strength to nod against his warm palms.

Their eyes closed, his lips brushed hers, the gentlest of touches, before he pulled away again, leaving her with a sigh against her lips.

Inner Sakura paused, fingers tingling, before stomping her foot.

Brow furrowed as his warmth retreated, Sakura opened her eyes to find Itachi's expression almost one of pain. Before she lost all her confidence, she reached up to palm his cheek in return, pulled him back, and moved her lips against his more deliberately.

His response was immediate, and Sakura's back bumped against her front door as Itachi swooped in and pinned her against it with his larger, firm body; his fingers laced through her hair and around her hip, his mouth hot on hers, his low groan against her ripping her very receptive answer from her own throat. The slow burn that had smouldered like coals at his initial kiss now flared to life and leapt higher still as her hips relaxed and widened to accommodate his, cradling him between her thighs. His growl was barely tamed, full of raw need as his body reacted to hers, pressing even closer. In a moment of weakness she ground against him, and suddenly all hell broke loose between them.

The door gave way beneath them, Sakura's key dangling from the lock as they stumbled inside. Itachi kicked the door shut behind them before pinning her to the wall.

"Sakura," he groaned, breathing heavily into her neck as he kissed his way down her throat.

Suddenly she felt herself lifted and pinned once more, this time with Itachi's leg between her thighs and his intensity pressing into her stomach, pulsing. It drove her mad and she moved against him, drawing a moan of pleasure from his throat. "Yes," he begged as she buried her hands in his hair.

Whimpering in her throat at how much she wanted him in that moment, Sakura lost track of herself as her coat fell from her arms, her scarf discarded as Itachi lifted her, carrying her across the room to her couch. He reversed their positions so he could sit with her straddling his hips.

"'tachi," she breathed wantonly, and he surged into her.

The battle waged on, giving and taking as they moved against each other; Sakura pushed down Itachi's coat while he unpinned her hair, relishing in the feel of it as he wove his long, nimble fingers through it. He massaged the back of Sakura's neck, making her moan thickly; she felt his reaction through his pants as it pressed against her core and wanted to weep from the urge to bear down on him.

Swallowing Sakura's moan, Itachi returned to kissing her mouth, holding her closer so he could feel her heartbeat against his. Everything was on fire inside him. Everything had fallen into madness, and he never wanted control back, ever again. All he wanted was this, this moment with her, this perfect communion between them, where he was hers, and she was his, and they made each other feel so amazing, like they burned brighter than a sun with their intensity. She was so brilliant. He was so happy. Gods, spirits above, he'd never known happiness like this. His chest was ready to burst with it.

After a few furious moments, Sakura's lungs screamed for air and she felt Itachi's fingers slacken in her hair as he pulled back, panting hard. Their foreheads touched as they sat there, equally weak-kneed, heads spinning. Itachi's nimble fingers squeezed her side and pressed small designs through her shirt, unconsciously.

"Fuck me," breathed Sakura in awe, before her eyes flew open and she slapped her hand across her mouth. Itachi's eyes had zeroed in on hers, his breathing hitching audibly.

"I mean, um. Damn. You're one helluva kisser," she admitted, blushing from the roots of her hair down to her collarbone. "Filter just burned right out, sorry."

To her surprise he laughed and with strong, gentle arms pulled her closer to him again, wrapping his arms around her.

"Fuck me, too," he murmured throatily, smirking against her hair as he kissed her temple.

The way her insides clenched at Itachi Uchiha's visceral words, the way she reacted, was entirely wrong, she knew. Wrong, and delicious, and damn she needed a cold shower, stat, or she was going to make a very rash, very selfish, very bad decision. (Thank the gods she'd kept the garters.)

"May I take you out again?" he asked, finally releasing her. He tucked some of her loose hair behind her ear again before smoothing his hand down her silky soft hair. "Officially. Would you do me the honour of being in a relationship with me? A serious relationship. Full time," he said, his voice softening.

Sakura considered his request. It was a loaded question. They had a complicated history, a complicated athletic situation, and with the difference in their age and station, a complicated professional relationship to address… in time. So many risks and influences and things to go wrong.

But did she want to?

"Yes," she said, resting her hands on his broad shoulders, smoothing her fingertips over the ends of his loosened hair. "I'd like that. If I get to do the same."

His brow arched. "You'd like to take me out?" His smirk softened to a grin, his eyes dancing.

"Yes," she said, more firmly. She gave him a quick nod. "Agreed?"

"Within reason," he said, though his tone was quite compliant. He ran his hands down her back and across her lower back, where he was learning she was quite sensitive. She arched into him and his eyes darkened at her reaction.

"Within reason," she said, arching a brow right back at him. He smiled at her widely, and it took years off the stress of his face. Her eyes widened in a daze.

"Does it really make you so happy?" she asked, awed at the change in him.

He let out a low breath, his entire chest lifting and falling with it. Even his shoulders, beneath her palms, softened.

He nodded. "Hn."

Her heart happy, Sakura smiled. Then covered her mouth as a jaw-cracking yawn broke through, making Itachi chuckle.

"Time for bed," he said, reaching around her to lift her off him. He placed her gently on her feet again, though her knees wobbled.

Sakura grumbled under her breath as he let her go. He found it adorable and couldn't help the smile that rose to his lips at her reaction.

He collected himself and tucked his loosened shirt back in before tying his hair back once more and putting his hands through the sleeves of his coat.

"I guess Maintenance came through while we were out," she said, sleep tingeing her words as she pointed to the front door. He nodded. He gathered the flyers and notices from her mailslot by the door and set them out on her kitchen table for her to review in the morning.

"I will speak to you tomorrow."

"Text me when you get in," she said. "It's late," she argued when he arched a brow at her.

"Hn."

They looked at one another one last time before Itachi leaned down, Sakura leaned in, and the kiss deepened once more. This kiss was calmer, less desperate, less maddening, but just as full of promise and adoration.

They parted, smiling, and Itachi's fingers trailed down Sakura's arm.

"I'll text you," he promised, and left, closing the door behind him.

Her grin turned silly as her heart continued to race, and Sakura bit her lip, locking up behind him.

She tried to pour herself a glass of water before giving it up as a wasted exercise. She was tired, but thrumming with adrenaline from Itachi's kiss. Her hands still shook and she couldn't seem to stand still long enough to do anything.

When her phone beeped with his text, her excitement ramped back up again before she could help it.

"_**Did you like my gift?"**_

Sakura's smile widened… before she looked at the sender. It wasn't Itachi.

Unknown sender. Her brow furrowed.

"**Hey, who's this? Sorry, I don't have you programmed in my phone." **She hit send. Which of her friends had talked about getting a new phone recently? Was it Kiba? But he hadn't gotten her anything for Christmas. So weird. Maybe it was a wrong number.

"_**You don't recognize me, Sakura?"**_

Sakura's brows drew together. Not a wrong number

"**Not funny, seriously. Who is this?" **She hit send. Shaking her head, she made her way to the bathroom and removed the last of the pins from her hair, brushed her teeth and removed her make-up before undressing and dumping her clothes in the hamper. She made her way to her room in her underwear and cursed when her light switch refused to work. Again. She was going to have it out with building Maintenance. This was the second or third time this… she sniffed… month.

_What was that smell?_

Her phone buzzed in her hand.

"_**I left it for you in your bedroom. Did you like it?"**_

Sakura's heart thumped hard in her chest, and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

There was a noise from deeper in her room, and then she heard it.

Breathing.

"I've been waiting for you, Sakura," he whispered, sending chills down her spine.

* * *

**(TBC in the Epilogue, coming late March 2016)**

**AN: **Thank you so much to **ksatk, Hana-Taisho, pokesimmo, GalacticBatMegan, nikolita, aijoinu,** for all their help with this chapter! Sorry for the delay. Also, for anyone looking for the ItaSaku story I promised to post earlier (remember that poll I had on my profile?), and for all my NSFW / mature content, please check out my AO3 profile. (I respect 's posting guidelines and keep my mature content on another website: **Archive of Our Own**, username **moor**.)

**Alright, my darling readers: Lay it on me. What did you think?**


	19. Epilogue

**Chapter 18: EPILOGUE: New Year's Day**

_Sakura's heart thumped hard in her chest, and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up._

_There was a noise from deeper in her room, and then she heard it. _

_Breathing._

"_I've been waiting for you, Sakura," he whispered, sending chills down her spine._

"Did you see the gifts I left you? I set some out for you in the living room while you were getting ready for me in the shower."

Sakura had already backed out of the room, though, and was running for the front door. As she passed through the living room, snatching up her coat from where she'd dropped it during her interlude with Itachi, she couldn't help her eyes seeing the 'gifts' the madman had left her.

Everywhere.

Mementos everywhere.

Pictures of her at _Akatsuki_, dancing with Ino. With Itachi. With members of the MA club

Pictures of her sparring or practising at the MA club. On campus. In an elevator. At the hospital, in the halls, in class.

At the garden at the Uchihas' summer villa. At her locker on campus. At _Shinobi _with Ino, at the very beginning of term. Grocery shopping. Changing in her bedroom.

Her blood froze in her veins as she saw the ones of her showering. Covered in cuts and bruises and stitches from her fight with the kidnappers at the hospital. One of the few times she had broken down, given in and cried, huddled in a corner as the water sluiced down her in cold rivulets.

She swore as she whipped the coat around her shoulders and ran for the door. He was quicker, though, and grabbed for her.

"Sakura," he said, anger rising. "Sakura, listen to me!"

"No!" she snarled, whirling around and backfisting him in the face. His nose made a satisfying crunch as she made contact. "Let go of me!"

And she tore out of the apartment and into the snow, barefoot.

She wasn't sure when, but at some point during her escape she dropped her phone.

But by the gods, she ran.

* * *

_**Home safe. Sleep well, Sakura. - Itachi**_

Itachi hit send and smiled, letting out a deep breath. His lips still tingled from their kiss and he knew sleep would be a long time coming that night with the adrenaline still seeping through his veins. Could things have been any more perfect? He felt a shiver down his spine as he relieved the feeling of Sakura's small fingers in his loose hair...

With a small shake of his head to clear some of his daydreams, Itachi hung up his coat and set his shoes aside in a neat pair before letting a full grin spread across his face. _Finally_, he thought, his shoulders relaxing. Finally, things were coming together. From here on out, everything was going to run smoothly. He would make it happen.

Far more relaxed after a shower, Itachi had just closed the door to his bathroom behind him when he heard a knock on his apartment door.

With a towel around his wet hair and a thick bathrobe wrapped around him, he slipped his phone in his pocket and answered.

"Good morning," he said, nodding to the officers. It was just after three in the morning at that point.

"Uchiha Itachi?"

"Yes," said Itachi to his cousin, Nobuo. It was a formality, but they were following procedure. "How can I help you?"

The officers looked at each other. "We came to ask you that. We received a call from your father to immediately drop our assignment and come assist you."

Itachi shook his head. "There is a mistake. I only just returned home. Do you know when the call came in?"

"Approximately twenty ago; we waited until reinforcements were on their way to our previous assignment before arriving. We apologize for the delay."

Unease coiled in Itachi's stomach. "My father sent you? I have not spoken with my father since early afternoon."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Asked the second officer, Daiki, and Itachi nodded. "Would you mind if we came in to check your apartment to be sure?"

"Come in," he said, taking a step back. "And yes, I'm sure." Then it hit him. "What was your last assignment?"

"Before coming here?"

"Yes," said Itachi, drawing his phone from his pocket and checking the call history. There was no reply from Sakura. His heart bottomed out. She always replied to his messages. Always.

"We can't release that information—"

"Were you monitoring Haruno Sakura's residence?" demanded Itachi.

There was a pause, and Itachi took a step closer to them, his patience wearing thin as his anxiety ratcheted up.

"Had your back-up arrived before you left?" He asked, fist clenching nearly as tightly as his heart.

"It was on the way, only minutes away—"

"You need to go back," said Itachi, turning away to hurry to his room. "I'm getting changed and coming with you."

"But—"

"Search my apartment as fast as you can if you need to, but when I come out I'm going to Sakura's," said Itachi tersely.

"There's no need for concern," said Daiki, but Itachi had already disappeared behind the door to his room.

"I'll be leaving in three minutes," he called back. "Call my father to advise him that Sakura is in danger, and to double the patrols in her neighbourhood."

"Itachi, come on, there's been no evidence of—"

But Itachi was already dialing his father. "Did you call off Sakura's guard?" He asked without preamble.

"Itachi?" Mumbled Fugaku through the receiver, with the sound of blankets rustling. "What's this about Sakura? No, of course not. We agreed to give her her privacy but maintain the stake-out."

"Then you have a leak in the department. Someone used your name to call off her guards temporarily. She isn't answering texts," said Itachi, throwing on a sweater and dragging his jeans up with lightning fast fingers. "I'm on my way over."

"Itachi, wait, stay where you are," said Fugaku, very much awake now. "I'll have the officers over there shortly."

"Not good enough."

"If he's there—"

"She isn't replying to her phone, I'm going over there."

"Would you give me a moment, I'm getting dressed—"

"Daiki and Nobuo left their post because they said you ordered them to come check on me! This is deliberate and you have a mole and imposter, and Sakura is not responding!"

"I'll meet you over there," said Fugaku.

"If anything has happened to her—"

"For god's sake, Itachi, I know!" Snapped Fugaku.

Itachi swallowed to clear his dry throat, collecting his keys as he exited his room, his phone still at his ear. Daiki and Nobuo nodded to him and followed him out.

"We're on our way," said Itachi.

"Mind the roads," said Fugaku. "And be careful, son," he said with rare emotion.

"Hn."

With that, Itachi nodded at Daiki and Nobuo who hopped into their squad car. Itachi opened the throttle of his Audi as he tore out of his parking lot.

* * *

Ice, snow, stones and gravel tore at Sakura's feet as she raced down the empty road outside her apartment. She had to find shelter, she had to hide, but she didn't know where she may be safe. She didn't dare try Ino's; she didn't want to involve her in Madara's madness. Who could help her, though? Who could she turn to?

Her lungs burned from the frigid air, and her coat flapped around her naked torso, the moisture from her shower having been replaced by a cold sweat that ran down her back and stomach as she clutched the long winter coat around herself tighter.

Could she confront him? Did she dare stop running to confront him?

Was he armed?

She didn't know. She had swung hard and run for it on instinct.

And damnit, where had she put her phone?

_Must have dropped it in my spectacular effort to flee_, she decided, angrier and angrier at herself.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot," she muttered under her gasping breath, her teeth clenched to control her shivering.

The wind picked up then, gusting around her slender frame and Sakura noticed for the first time just how badly she was shaking. She could not tell whether it was from fear or from the dropping temperatures.

A phone. She needed a phone. She needed to call for help. Itachi, the police, the Uchihas, someone. But all her numbers had been saved in her phone's memory.

She swallowed and looked around. The street was empty of traffic and the apartment buildings surrounding her had wound down from their New Year's Eve festivities and lay silent as a graveyard.

In the distance she heard a shuffling, rushing noise; someone was running through the snow and they were getting louder. Sakura's heart leapt up into her throat.

Without another thought she tore off again in a new direction.

* * *

_Why… why was she running?_

_Why had she hit him?_

Confused and upset, Madara used his sleeve to wipe at the blood still trickling from his nose. He was sure it was broken, along with part of his left cheek. His breath fogged in front of him in the winter night, and he scanned the street for his quarry. There; he saw the pathway of unequal footprints, complete with individual little toe prints, leading down the next street.

All he wanted was her happiness. He'd tried to show her how much he cared; had gone to so much trouble to capture all her different emotions and expressions. She was so beautiful, so kind. She was so important to him. He hurried after her, following her trail.

He would forgive her for hitting him. She probably hadn't gotten a very good look at him, he reasoned. And he _had _surprised her.

She hadn't even made it to her room, where he'd prepared the biggest surprise.

There's still time, he reassured himself. The snow wasn't falling heavily enough to obscure her trail. He would catch up to her very shortly.

And then they'd have all the time together in the world.

* * *

Itachi had rarely felt cold rage seep through him the way he did when he screeched into Sakura's apartment parking lot and could already see the lights flashing from a half-dozen police cruisers. Looking up at Sakura's apartment, he could see her door, light crawling across her front entrance from the police lamps, was open and a perimeter of police tape ran across the area, barricading it from intruders.

_Too late. _His jaw clenched.

Struggling to contain the beast inside him that cried out for blood, Itachi gripped the steering wheel in white-fingered hands and scanned the area.

It was then he saw a group of officers off to the side, kneeling by the sidewalk and measuring two sets of footprints.

Itachi put his car in gear again and shot out of the parking lot, ignoring the shouts from behind him as he tore off down the road, following the footprints. As he got closer, he saw that the slender, narrower female footprint was not one of a shoe, but rather a bare foot.

Longer, heavier booted footprints followed closely beside hers.

He pressed harder on the accelerator.

* * *

It was the middle of the night when Sasuke heard movement from the bathroom down the hall; a thump, then a crash, and muttered swearing.

His brow furrowing, he let out a sigh and climbed out of bed.

"Karin," he called, rubbing his eyes as he turned on the hallway light. "What did you do?"

He leaned against the wall across from the bathroom door, yawning. He'd make sure she was alive and then leave her be. He had work first thing in the morning; this kind of nonsense was not going to be tolerated.

More rustling noises came from inside the bathroom, however, and another, smaller crash. "N-nothing!... crap... Go back to bed."

His brow arched.

"You don't sound alright," he muttered.

"I'm fine," she called. "Just—ow—dropped my tea cup and I'm trying to pick up the slivers before they cut up my feet worse. Go back to bed."

Shaking his head, Sasuke pushed away from the wall and collected the dustpan and broom from the nearby linen closet. He knocked on the bathroom door. "Broom and pan are right outside the door," he said, tapping the door with them and setting them on the ground. "I'm going back to bed."

He turned away and dragged his feet back to his room before his shoulders slumped and he realized how callously he had behaved. "Look," he said, turning back just as the bathroom door opened, "Do you need help? I have a first aid kit in my…"

His words trailed off as he heard Karin's quick intake of breath as their eyes met. She was topless. He tried to look away out of respect, but he was fixated on her.

He normally crimson hair had been bleached white and hung across her broad shoulders; her hands, no longer hidden under long sleeves, were larger than he remembered; her fingers unadorned by nail polish; her face denuded of makeup seemed less refined. But it was her masculine chest that surprised him the most.

"Karin?" He asked, finally tearing his eyes away to meet hers again behind her glasses; and it was then he took in just how horrified she—_he?_—was.

Her face paling by the heartbeat, Karin's lipstick-free mouth had fallen open in terror. Sasuke noted how thin and flat they looked without her usual primping.

When she moved, she was lightning fast. She grabbed the door and slammed it in Sasuke's face, ignoring how bewildered he was; but Sasuke had a predator's instincts and seized the door mid-swing, preventing it from closing. He nearly lost a pinkie but saved it just in time.

"Wait—wait, Karin, just… would you stop hyperventilating? You're going to pass out!" He yelled, genuinely concerned, yanking the door free of her grasp.

"You can't see me like this, you can't see me like this, you can't—" Karin had turned away from Sasuke, huddling against the back of the bathroom door with her arms wrapped around herself.

Scanning the bathroom furtively—hair bleach on one counter, used and discarded; another bottle of hair dye on the side of the tub, the empty carton beside it reading 'Cherry Blossom Pink'; a bottle of gin on the counter; no sign of a tea cup, but plenty of glass across the floor; and there, among the rubble of discarded clothing, the moulded cups that...—Sasuke turned to the towel rack and grabbed the oversized fluffy white bathrobe that hung there. Turning his head to the side to give Karin privacy, he held it out and wrapped it around her shuddering shoulders.

"Karin," he said, turning back to her once she was covered.

"Go away," she whispered.

Sasuke sighed and took a seat on the bathroom floor across from Karin, after sweeping up the glass shards.

"Oy," he said, voice gentler than he'd ever spoken to her. "Karin."

She shook her head, her face buried in her crossed arms, her legs tucked up to her chest. "Please, just go."

"No."

"You're a fucking prick," she spat. Her arms loosened enough to kick at Sasuke, but he grabbed her foot.

"Don't kick me. You're upset. It won't make you feel better to hurt someone else. That isn't who you are," Sasuke said.

Karin snorted, pulling her leg back and wrapping her arms around it again as she pulled her knees up to her chest once more. "What do you know about who I am?" She shook her head and laughed lowly under her breath. "Obviously I'm not who you thought I was."

"You are who I thought you were. You're a hard worker. A talented organizer. A determined negotiator. And a pawn to the Oto Corp," he recited, voice calm. "This is what they have over you, isn't it?"

Karin swallowed.

"You can keep your secrets, Karin. I'm not interested in other people's secrets. But," he picked up the box for the pink hair dye. "This," he lifted it up. "Isn't you." He tossed it into the garbage. "And don't ever try to manipulate me by trying to be her. You will never be anything like her."

"Because she's a 'real' girl?"

Sasuke looked at Karin, still pale, though with some colour coming back into her cheeks.

"You are only near me because they want you to be close to me. Don't bring Sakura into this," he said evenly.

Karin looked away towards the tub for a moment before wiggling her feet.

"I was supposed to get the surgery," she said quietly, when Sasuke remained where he was, listening. "They said that they supported those kinds of decisions, and they started me on the therapy meds right away. They said after a year or so, I should be able to transition. But they kept delaying it." She shrugged. "They kept delaying and delaying. It's been like this for six years now."

Sasuke remained quiet, but his mind reeled. Karin was six years older than he was…

"When I tried to leave, they said the drugs would stop. They warned me about the side effects. They said I would have to start all over again, and good luck finding a place that would take me," said Karin. She bit her lip, swallowed. "When you came into the picture, I tried to leave again. But they found out we'd met at the pub and that we were friends, they threatened to destroy my career, my life, to out me publicly if I tried to leave."

Sasuke listened as Karin talked, his head putting together all the little clues. Her medications. Her constant work. Her perpetual schedules. Sui's teasing. Her obsession with control and privacy. It all made sense.

"I swore to myself, when I was kicked out of my home and family, that I would never change who I was to suit someone else again," she said after a moment of silence. She wiped at her eyes with her wrist, holding her glasses in her other hand. She shook her head. "I've had that bottle of dye for weeks. I just couldn't bring myself to use it. But when you came back, I could see you had changed. I needed something to get your attention again, to distract you from Konoha. To make you feel that this was your home. They told me to do whatever I had to to ensure your compliance."

"My compliance in what?"

Karin tilted her head back, closing her eyes.

"In what they want."

"Karin," said Sasuke, his voice sharper.

She pressed her lips together, and Sasuke fought the urge to shake her.

"The law. They're using you, and your family and connections, to get around certain laws."

"What laws? I work in compliance. I helped design all the different protocols we need to follow to make sure we're following all those laws!" Said Sasuke, affronted.

She gave him a wan smile. "Oh, you naive little child," she sighed, her voice genuinely sorry. "If you spent all that time looking at every loophole as to how to stay within the law and avoid running across foul play… what happens when someone looks at those same notes and your scenarios, and reverses them?"

Sasuke's blood slowed in his veins.

"You get a skeleton key for how to get around the police and justice system of Konoha," said Karin, voice as calm and gentle as a preschool teacher's. "And with all the inside knowledge you've been using about Konoha's military police and judicial runnings to form your compliance scenarios, you've handed them everything they need to get around it all from the inside."

"But why?" Asked Sasuke, his fingers numb from dread.

"You really can't figure it out?" Said Karin.

Sasuke stared at her.

"Think hard. It will come to you. Think about what Oto Corp does. Think about what it does to its own people, often, if they can make them vulnerable and desperate enough," she said mirthlessly.

But Sasuke shook his head.

Karin scoffed at him, and narrowed her eyes. "You haven't forgotten Kimimaro. Or his wife. Or his son… or me."

And then it clicked.

"Test subjects," he breathed. Then he remembered the kidnapping Sakura had foiled. "He's smuggling people to Oto to use as test subjects for his biological warfare experiments."

Nausea cold and sick roiled in his stomach. Children. They were even kidnapping children.

"They have people there, inside Konoha, helping them, too."

"But why? Can't they just ask for volunteers?"

"Sasuke, have you not realized yet what this place is?"

Sasuke stared at her.

"We're a terrorist organization; and we don't 'run' the government here in Oto. We are the government," snapped Karin. "Why do you think we have such a massive communications department? A finance area that spans two entire floors? Does that sound reasonable for a single company? Or, how many divisions we have, everywhere?"

"The housing complex…" started Sasuke.

Karin shook her head. "Observation. You took out the bugs they planted initially. That's why they brought me in."

And everything was making sicker and sicker sense to Sasuke.

"It's not just test subjects, though. They're smuggling drugs and counterfeit goods out, too, aren't they?" He said, his shoulders tensing.

Karin nodded once.

"Everything is under observation. Everything. When you asked for that leave of absence over Christmas, it spooked a whole lot of power players. They were very relieved you spent pretty much the entire trip at home, by the way," she sighed. "Well, mostly. I had to bend over backwards to reassure them you were coming back. If you hadn't, I don't want to think about what they would have done to… anyway," she sighed again.

"Do me a favour," said Karin, exhausted. Dark smudges circled her weary eyes. "Keep your mouth shut, please. At least for now."

Sasuke looked pointedly at the dye on the ledge of the bath. "It wouldn't suit you."

To his surprise, Karin blushed. "I guess I'm blond for the next few days, then."

Sasuke shook his head. "Work from home tomorrow. If you have some of your natural hair left from your brush, I will take it to a pharmacy tomorrow and get you a matching colour so you can dye it back."

Karin stared at him, mouth dropping open.

"Hn?"

"You're… not being a prick."

Sasuke arched a brow. "About?"

Karin blushed again, and gestured to herself awkwardly, tucking her legs under her.

"You're Karin. Nothing has changed; now I'm aware of something that I wasn't aware of before, but nothing changed," said Sasuke. "And I respect your privacy and won't speak of it to anyone else."

Karin's eyes warmed, gathering wetness in the corners.

"No crying," he ordered. He hated that.

Karin laughed and shook her head, wiping the tears away before they could fall. "Understood."

With that, Sasuke stood and offered his hand to Karin, helping her to her feet. Together they tidied the bathroom and went their separate ways to bed. Sasuke mind was reeling, however, at all the new information.

Who could he talk to about this? He couldn't trust anyone here.

… what would happen if he tried to leave again?

How would he communicate with his family? He had to let them know what was going on.

But there was no one in Oto he could trust.

A wrinkled face and a Hello Kitty tenugui appeared in his mind.

Or, perhaps there was.

* * *

"I don't care what you have to do, you need to get here, now!"

Madara snarled into the phone and snapped it shut.

He'd had to leave his car behind in order to chase Sakura on foot, and he'd heard the sirens. He was running out of time.

He looked around the dark street, barely lit by the lamps whose glow was muted by the mounting snow.

He was losing her footprints. This was unacceptable, not only because it meant his Sakura was lost in the snow and quickly succumbing to hypothermia, but also because it would be harder to leave with her afterwards and not be followed. His mistake at the farmhouse could not be repeated.

Luckily he still had a few options left.

Picking up Sakura's trail again, he hurried after her. He just needed a few more minutes before his ride arrived.

* * *

Knowing he was going to regret it, but having no other choice, Itachi typed a message into his phone and sent it to a very select group of individuals.

**Missing. Haruno Sakura. Photo attached. In this general location.** (He added the GPS coordinates). **Predator in pursuit. Likely armed. Need assistance locating and protecting her. Reward offered for anyone who finds and protects her, and/or captures assailant alive. **

He hit send as he faced the alleyway he'd turned down. It was a dead end; another car had also been abandoned there, engine still running though it looked like it had been there for some time. He hopped the fence at the end and took off after the booted prints he saw, the same ones he'd followed from Sakura's apartment.

* * *

Sweat dampened Shisui's brow as he navigated the frozen Konoha streets. His trusty Land Rover had never failed him, and he had complete faith in it, but his insides were mush. How had everything gone so wrong?

His GPS beeped at him, and he arrived at the alleyway where the message was sent from. He pulled in and noted the other vehicle with its dimly lit interior light on, its engine sputtering as the tank ran dry.

Sakura's footprints led up to the wall at the end, and he followed them as far as he could until he reached the chain link fence with the garbage piled up the side.

Hoisting himself up, Shisui was about to swing over the side of the fence when he noticed only one set of prints. Heavier, from a man's boot.

There were no more Sakura-bare-foot-prints on this side of the fence.

Shisui dropped back down and spun around, searching the area. She hadn't run back down the alley. Where was she? Up the fire escapes? Would Sakura have been able to reach that high?

No, he shook his head, his eyes sharpened as much as they could in the narrow, dark alley. Sakura wouldn't have been able to reach that high to grab the ladders to pull them down. Her hand was still too damaged to lift her own body weight. Where could she have gone?

He was examining the fence again for any evidence that would help when he heard the muffled groan from beside him.

"Sakura?" He asked, turning to the… pile of garbage!

Not sparing a minute, Shisui grabbed at the bags and boxes piled there, ripping them away from the frosty grip that had settled around them. Snow flew through the air at being disturbed as he tossed the bags and boxes behind him, before finally his warm hands connected with a chilled arm that jerked in his grasp, followed by a curt scream.

"It's okay, Sakura," he said, kneeling so he could see her better. "It's me. It's me," he repeated, lowering his voice.

"Itachi?" Asked her quiet voice.

"No, Shisui," he said, smiling. He leaned closer and pushed a last bag out of the way as he searched for her hand, face, anything.

And then, with a tumble, Sakura shakily emerged. Her skin was grey, her hair frozen against her head in frosted chunks; her lips and hands were blue. All she had on was an oversize coat; the rest of her was bare.

Shisui's eyes widened. She was barely breathing, wasn't even trembling; her teeth weren't chattering.

"Sakura, we need to get you warm," he said, yanking off his jacket and stepping through the fallen garbage bags to wrap it around her.

"Doesn't hurt," she said, her words slurred.

His brow dipped. She was in worse condition than he thought. "We're taking you to my place. Can you walk?"

She tried to shake her head, but couldn't quite manage the full motion.

"I'm going to carry you to the car," he said, and Sakura accepted.

With gentle hands he lifted her and started back to his Land Rover.

"We're lucky I found you," he said, unlocking the door. He placed her gently inside. "Give me a minute, I'm going to get into the driver's seat. Sit tight."

Sakura made a humming sound, and Shisui's heart broke. He wrapped her head to toe in blankets before buckling her in securely.

He hopped in as fast as he could, turning on the ignition once more and letting the engine idle a moment as he pulled out his phone. He locked the doors, just in case.

"I'm just going to send a message before we go, okay?" He said, already typing. He looked at Sakura in the passenger seat, but she had closed her eyes, her breathing shallow and even.

"Oy!" He called, shaking her seat. "Wake up! Stay awake! No sleeping!"

He hit send on his phone when she opened one bleary eye to stare at him.

His brows drawing together, Shisui frowned. "Stay with me," he said, putting the Land Rover in gear. "We're on our way. Keep talking. It's really important you stay awake right now. You know that, right? Good," he said, splitting his attention between her and the road.

"Shi...sui…?"

"Yeah, Sakura?"

"How did you find me?"

"Hn? A message told me where to look for you. Cell phones are amazing these days. How are you doing? Tell me what you can feel. Can you feel your fingers?"

"No."

"Wrists? elbows?"

"Not much."

Shisui's stomach dropped.

"Arms? Shoulders?"

"Yeah. Some."

"That's good. We'll get you fixed up really soon," he said, taking a road she was less familiar with.

Sakura's tired eyes followed their path. "Itachi's house is back that way."

"We're not going to the Uchiha Main House. I said we were going to my place. I thought you'd like a break from everything," he said, navigating carefully.

"Itachi knows?"

"Hn. We may need to make a quick stop on the way, though, okay? I wasn't supposed to leave tonight, and I—hey. Hey!"

Sakura opened her eyes again.

Shisui let out a heavy breath.

Then Sakura's eyes flew open and she sat up straighter. "Itachi!"

"No, we're going to my place—"

"No, Itachi! Right there! Brake!"

Skidding to the side as he slammed on the brakes, Shisui's SUV slid sideways across the road as Itachi pulled up beside them, leaping from his car. Shisui lowered his window.

"Shisui! What are you doing here?" Itachi said, running to Shisui's door. His hair was a mess and his jacket was open, whipping around him in the windy night. "You have to help, I can't find her. Sakura's gone missing. Madara's out there, he got to her, and I think she ran out of her—"

"Itachi!"

His rambling cut short at the sound of Sakura's excited voice, Itachi practically launched himself through Shisui's driver's side window. "Sakura!"

"Oof," grunted Shisui as Itachi's elbow landed in his sternum. "Easy, 'tachi. She needs to be warmed up gradually. Hypothermia."

"My place is closest," said Itachi.

Sakura's head moved side to side as she listened to them speak, getting dizzy from the focus it took to keep up with them.

"Your family's place is a little further than—"

"My apartment!" Snapped Itachi, his restraint short-circuiting. His brows rose as he looked at Shisui. "Shisui, I'm sorry, I'm—"

Shisui sighed. "It's okay, we'll head over together. Call who you need to, and we'll all meet at your place."

Itachi nodded, sliding back out of Shisui's window. "I'll lead and buzz you straight in through the garage," he said.

With that Itachi drove off, Shisui following.

* * *

It took most of the night, but by mid-morning Sakura was resting safely in Itachi's apartment as the rest of her body regained its normal temperature. In an undershirt and boxers, Itachi rested alongside her in his bed, lending her his warmth. She had an IV line to feed her fluids and nutrients, and she would need a great deal of rest, but overall she had come through her ordeal far better than expected; though it may take a few days before her feet would be healed enough to walk or run comfortably.

Once the police and paramedics had arrived at Itachi's apartment and questioned Sakura and Itachi, Shisui slipped away. In his pocket, his phone burned a hole with its vibrating. Dozens of messages blinked at him, and he rubbed his red eyes as he slipped into the front seat of his Land Rover, listening to the most recent one.

He set off to the address input into his GPS, and held his tongue as a tall, dark-haired man opened the passenger door and jumped in when he stopped.

He waited for his passenger to speak first, turning back into traffic and merging onto an exit that led outside Konoha.

"Why?" Asked the man darkly, his eyes staring dead ahead. "How?"

Shisui sighed. "We almost lost her, you know." He changed lanes on the empty highway. "You need to be more careful."

This quieted the man a moment. He removed his hat and shook out his long, dark mane of wild hair.

"Will she be all right?" He asked, his hands curling into fists in his lap.

Shisui kept his eyes on the icy roads. "Yes," he replied. "She'll be fine in a few days. She just needs some rest."

The man nodded again. His chest rose and fell as he let out a long, deep breath.

"No one questioned you?" He asked.

Shisui shook his head. "They were more interested in Sakura's wellbeing and story. No one noticed I left."

"Good."

Madara turned to Shisui. "Next time we'll be successful."

Shisui smiled. "Yes, big brother."

* * *

**AN: The End of "Forest Fire II". **

**I will be sending PM replies to the lovely readers who left / leave me comments. "Forest Fire III" will be out... later. **

** This epilogue is unbeta'd, but I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has helped me along the way with this story; your feedback, comments, suggestions and edits all made this a much stronger story than I ever thought I'd be able to write. All errors remain my own. If you find any, please let me know so I can go back and correct them, hahaha! Pokesimmo, AijoInu, nikolita, thank you especially for your help with "Forest Fire II". **

**To all my wonderful readers, I hope you've enjoyed "Forest Fire II" and for any questions, feel free to shoot 'em my way over on tumblr (beyondthemoor) where you can ask anonymously, if you so desire. I will be taking a break from the "Forest Fire" 'verse to finish up a few other projects over the course of this year, and I look forward to providing you more fun fanfic to read in the weeks, months, and years to come. Have a fantastic day!**

**-mm**


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